The Edenian Saga
by BlazingCarnage
Summary: Edenia has fallen and Sindel has fled from Shao Kahn rather then surrender her life and child to the emperor. Fleeing from Kahn, Sindel is given the chance to find a new realm to live out a new life for her and Kitana. And what realm is that? Why the Dragon Ball realm of course!
1. The Lost Empress

**Chapter 1 - The Lost Empress**

With her infant daughter held tightly in her arms, Queen Sindel fled through the deserts of Outworld. She was clad in a dark cloak, concealing her face under the hood to protect her identity. Occasionally, she would look back to see if Shao Kahn's forces were still pursuing her, sighing in relief when she saw no one. However, that would likely change soon. Once the emperor discovered his wife's absence, he would send every creature under his rule to scour the entire realm for her.

Little Kitana whimpered in her mother's arms, and Sindel looked at her sadly.

"Shh... be calm, my daughter. We are almost there." Sindel uttered soothingly.

Kitana seemed to calm down at her mother's words, and Sindel started to climb up the side of the mountain she just came across. After climbing for hours, Sindel sighed with relief when she saw the top through the fog. Eventually, Sindel made it to the top of the mountain, and stared in awe at what she saw. A shrine of some sort, with a long, narrow bridge leading to an enormous swirling orange vortex.

The Highlands of Outworld was the most mysterious region of the realm. Having existed since the Dragon King Onaga's rule, the Highlands housed a great portal that could access different realms across the multiverse. Having been told of this place by one of Shao Kahn's handmaidens, Sindel immediately set off for it, hoping that the portal would take her someplace safe for her and her daughter to start a new life. With Edenia gone and its people either slaughtered or enslaved, Sindel saw no real alternative. Fighting Shao Kahn was out of the question. Sindel's husband, Jerrod, was a better fighter than she was, and even he was no match for the warlord.

Sindel looked at the enormous portal, and then smiled down at her daughter. "This is it, dear. This is where we start our new life."

"Not so fast, empress."

Sindel gasped and spun around. Standing behind her was a large, four armed female Shokan. It was Sheeva, Sindel's bodyguard.

"Sheeva?" Sindel said, backing away from the Shokan warrior. "How did you find me?"

"I have been pursuing you since you fled from Shao Kahn's palace." Sheeva said with a disappointing frown. "I overheard you speaking to the handmaiden."

Sindel sighed, looking down. So she had been caught. She looked up at the Shokan with a defiant glare.

"So what now then? Are you going to drag us back to that monster?"

Sheeva frowned. "I will if I must, empress. My people are dedicated to Shao Kahn. We must to what he demands."

"Sheeva, I've already lost my home, my people, and my husband to that... beast. If you think I'm just going to return to that life of misery and let my daughter grow up as the child of a warmonger, you're sadly mistaken." Sindel said defiantly. "You'll just have to kill me."

"You know I cannot do that, Sindel." Sheeva said. "I am sworn to protect you. Not harm you."

It was then that Sindel saw the sorrow in the Shokan's eyes. It was clear that Sheeva didn't want to harm Sindel, as her devotion to the empress had grown since the Shokan was assigned to be the Edenian's bodyguard. Sindel too respected Sheeva as a friend and a noble warrior.

Sindel sighed. "Sheeva, you've seen how he treats us. And I've seen how he treats you and your kind. He knows not love, but desire. He does not see the honor your people hold dearly. To him, you're all just tools for his own selfish needs. You are better than that. You could rebel."

"I... cannot." Sheeva said sadly. "Even if the Shokan were to rebel against Shao Kahn, the other races are still loyal to him, especially the Tarkatans and Centaurs. There is nothing to be done about him now."

"Then come with us." Sindel urged, causing Sheeva to look up in surprise. "Leave this wretched place, and come with Kitana and I to new lands. You need not remain here under his abusive hold."

Sheeva seemed to consider this. It was a good prospect, but in the end, Sheeva could not.

"That is tempting. But I can't do that. I cannot leave my brothers and sisters behind." Sheeva said, but then she had an idea, and smiled. "But... perhaps in time, we will repeat your actions and leave Outworld together."

Sindel gaped in shock. "So... you're letting us go? You won't tell Shao Kahn where we are?"

Sheeva smiled and nodded. "I am your friend, Sindel. And friendship is more powerful than honor."

Sindel smiled in gratitude. "Thank you, Sheeva."

Sheeva nodded, and then led Sindel to the portal. The two women stared at it for a few minutes, feelings of uncertainty bothering them both.

"Where will we go?" Sindel wondered aloud.

Sheeva looked down, frowning in contemplation. Sindel looked at her curiously, and her eyebrow rose when the Shokan's face lit up. Sheeva looked back up at the portal, her face unreadable. "There is a realm that Shang Tsung discovered. It is similar to Earthrealm, yet in many ways different. However, Shao Kahn chose to ignore it, as he deemed it unworthy of conquering. But it is peaceful, and it should suit you and your daughter."

"It has to be better than this place." Sindel said with contempt. "How do I get there?"

"I have used this portal before." Sheeva said. "It will take you wherever you desire. Just walk through, and it will know where to send you."

Sindel looked back at the portal, and then back at Sheeva. "Thank you again, Sheeva, for everything. I regret leaving you here, though."

Sheeva smiled back. "I will live, my queen. In time, perhaps the Shokan will join you in your quest for peace. But until then, we must part ways. Now hurry. Who knows when Shao Kahn's forces will arrive."

Sindel nodded, and gave Kitana a kiss on the forehead, and stepped onto the bridge leading to the portal. Not looking back, Sindel walked into the swirling vortex, and the moment she stepped through it, she felt as though an invisible force was tugging her by the stomach, and she was sent hurdling through time and space. Closing her eyes, Sindel held Kitana close to her, leaving the horrors of Outworld behind her.

* * *

Mr. Popo hummed a peaceful tune as he watered the flowers on Kami's Lookout. Glancing out, he saw Kami standing at the edge of the lookout, observing the actions and everyday lives of humanity. His staff gripped tightly in his wrinkly green hands, Kami watched as an alien space pod crashed into Mt. Paozu. He sensed an elderly, yet strong human discover it. Mr. Popo came up alongside his master, facing the cloudy heavens that surrounded the lookout.

"Anything new, Master Kami?"

"A space pod has landed in Mt. Paozu. I will investigate its purpose later."

Suddenly, Kami sensed an unfamiliar ki spike, and spun around to look up. Popo sensed it as well, and glanced back. To their surprise, a orange portal had opened up above the lookout. Raging winds from the vortex picked up, blowing Kami and Popo's clothes in the wind. Kami watched the vortex in wonder until there was a flash, and a hooded figure fell out of it and fell to the ground. Kami blinked in shock, and then rushed to the woman's side. Popo's eyes remained locked on the portal, which slowly shrunk until it was gone.

Sindel groaned in pain, the fall having bruised her side. Kitana bawled loudly in her arms, and Sindel hushed soothingly to her.

"Goodness. Are you alright, ma'am?"

Sindel blinked at the unfamiliar, yet kind voice, and turned her head. She gasped when she saw a green creature with pointy ears and antennae. He was wearing a white cloak with blue shoulder pads and a red symbol on the front. Despite his appearance, he had a concerned look. Sindel, however, was weary of him, and backed away, holding onto her daughter protectively.

"Wh-Who are you?" Sindel said, looking around. "And where am I?"

"I am Kami." The creature said. He lifted his hand up in reassurance. "I mean you know harm, my dear. You are on my lookout. It is the safest place in this world."

Sindel visibly relaxed, and slowly pulled herself up, wincing at the pain from her fall. "What realm is this?"

"Realm?" Kami said, confused. "This is Earth, my dear. I know of no realms here."

Sindel then remembered Sheeva's words. _There is a realm... similar to Earthrealm, yet in many ways different._

Sindel looked around, seeing that she was standing on some kind of giant platform, surrounded by clouds and blue skies. She also saw an enormous palace seated on the platform. It was a lot nicer looking than Shao Kahn's barbaric palace. The tapping of Kami's staff against the ground caught Sindel's attention, and she looked back at the green being.

"I don't mean to be rude, ma'am, but I'd very much like to know who you are and how you found yourself in my presence." He said.

Remembering her Edenian manners, Sindel bowed, still holding Kitana, who had calmed down. "Forgive me, good sir. I am Sindel, queen of the realm of Edenia. Or at least I was until its untimely passing."

"Edenia?" Kami said, frowning in confusion. "Never heard of it."

"Yes, I imagine you wouldn't." Sindel said honestly. "I was told that this realm was not part of the Mortal Kombat conflict."

"Mortal Kombat?"

"It's a long story." Sindel said.

"Why did you come here?" Kami asked.

"My people were destroyed." Sindel said. "By a horrible warlord called Shao Kahn. My attendant sent me and my daughter here, where he would be safe from the emperor."

Kami listened, ever so curious, and stroked his chin in thought. Popo looked between the guardian of Earth and the Edenian queen, his face blank.

_So... a lost fugitive from another world. Just like me.._.

Kami gave the woman welcoming smile. "You and your daughter are welcome to stay here on the lookout as guests. As guardian of this planet, it is only probable that I show newcomers reasonable hospitality."

Sindel smiled, finding that she liked this man. "Thank you, sir. We will try not to be a burden."

"It is no trouble, your majesty." Kami said, earning another smile from Sindel. "Mr. Popo, would you please offer our guests some food? They look quite famished."

The black genie bowed, and then offered Sindel a hand. "This way please, my lady."

Sindel smiled and took the genie's hand, finding herself being led into Kami's palace. Kami watched them leave, and then considered these new arrivals. He could sense some great potential within the both of them. Perhaps he would train them, take them on as his prodigies. Plus, he wouldn't want the two visitors to grow up as outcasts just as he had when he first arrived on Earth.

Kami smiled. He wasn't going to feel so lonely anymore.

* * *

Awesome! My first story. You probably know by now, but this will be a retelling of the Dragon Ball saga with Queen Sindel and Princess Kitana in the story, and maybe a few more Mortal Kombat faces will appear after a while. In the next chapter, Kitana will be a teenager, and she and Sindel will both have mastered ki manipulation, but will still be learning more techniques from Kami.

I'll update as soon as I can, and I look forward to reading your responses. Later!


	2. The Queen and the King

**Chapter 2: The Queen and the King**

**_Sixteen years later..._**

On Kami's Lookout, a young teenage girl with tanned skin, long, flowing black hair, and beautiful brown eyes clad in a dark purple leotard with matching knee-high boots, long gloves, and a headband. She faced Mr. Popo with a determined look on her face, and soon dropped into a battle stance.

"I'm ready now, Popo." Kitana said.

Popo smiled and nodded. "Make your move, dear."

Kitana jumped forward at superhuman speed, spinning around in midair to deliver a chop to the genie. Popo casually lifted his forearm and blocked Kitana's attack. Kitana delivered a number of lightning fast punches and kicks to Popo, but the black genie easily countered all of her menuevres. Despite never being able to land a single blow on Mr. Popo, Kitana grew stronger with each day, just as her mother had in her training. Sindel, a few months after her arrival on the lookout, had grown accustom to ki manipulation, thanks to Kami, and was then sent to train with Korin. Shd was able to learn everything the cat had to offer her in less than a year, which amazed Kami. She then underwent training under Kami himself, and finished by the time Kitana was ten years old. Kitana, on the other hand, started training at age eight. She was sent to Korin as well, but her temper created a rift in her training for some time. Fortunately, she eventually mastered the cat's teachings and trained alongside her mother under Kami. Sindel even pitched in on a few lessons, teaching Kitana what Kami had taught her whenever the guardian was busy.

As Kitana landed several unsuccessful blows on Popo, he suddenly shot his fist out and struck Kitana right in the face, sending her flying back several meters. Growling in frustration, Kitana put both her hands above her head with her palms facing Popo. She had one hand in front of the other with the fingers going in opposite directions. Thrusting her hands forward, Kitana yelled "MASENKO!", and fired a yellowish-orange blast at the black genie. However, to Kitana's frustration, Popo just inhaled the Masenko through his mouth and swallowed it, giving the Edenian princess a smile.

Suddenly, Kitana heard clapping, and glanced over to see her mother, clad in her usual purple and black Edenian armor, standing there with that natural, regal authority she always carried. Her beautiful white hair flowed gently in the breeze, and her beautiful, silver-white eyes looked on her daughter in pride.

"Well done, Kitana. You almost had him." Sindel told her daughter.

Kitana smiled. "Thank you, mother. I'll get him next time."

Sindel chuckled. "I'm sure you will, dear."

"Sindel." A voice said, and the three looked up to see Kami standing in the doorway of his palace. He was wearing a rather grim expression. Sindel frowned in concern, and looked back at her daughter.

"I'll be right back Kitana. Continue with your training, alright?"

Kitana nodded. "Yes mother."

Sindel left Kitana to Popo, and walked up the steps to Kami. She gave a respectful bow to the man who had become her best friend since her arrival on Earth.

"Kami." She said, and then looked up at him. "Something troubles you?"

Kami nodded. "Indeed. You know of the Dragon Balls, yes?"

Sindel nodded. Kami had told her of the mystical orbs and their wish granting abilities long ago.

"What of them?" Sindel asked.

"An old enemy of mine, King Piccolo, has claimed the Dragon Balls, and plans on using them to gain eternal youth and power, with which he hopes to conquer the world." Kami explained.

Sindel frowned. "And you wish for me to stop him?"

Kami nodded. "Kitana is to young, and the human martial artists that I informed you about are nowhere near Piccolo's power level yet. But your's on the other hand..."

"I understand." Sindel nodded. "I will leave as soon as I am able."

"Thank you, Sindel." Kami said gratefully. Sindel was about to leave, but she saw something flicker in Kami's eyes. Something that was similar to sadness. She stopped, and frowned at Kami.

"There's more to this, isn't there." She stated.

Kami sighed. "Always the observant one, aren't you. Very well... technically, me and King Piccolo are the same being."

What?" Sindel said, surprised.

Kami nodded. "You know well that I am not from Earth. That much has been explained to you. But there was a moment of my life I neglected to share with you. Three-hundred years ago, when I attempted to become guardian of Earth, I was denied the title due to the evil that lay restless within me. A guardian's motives must be pure. That is how it has always been. So, I performed a centuries old ritual to expel the evil from my body. The result was... not what I had expected. The ritual ended up producing two separate entities. One was the benign guardian you see before you now, and the other King Piccolo. He and I are essentially one being. If one of us dies, the other dies as well."

Sindel's mouth fell in open in shock, and then glared at her friend. "You were about to send me off to sign your own death sentence. Do you wish to die?"

"If it means ending King Piccolo's reign, then yes." Kami said, glaring back at Sindel.

"I won't kill my best friend and the only family my daughter and I have after our people were destroyed." Sindel said defiantly. "There must be some other way."

Kami looked surprised. He didn't realize Sindel cared for him that much. Sighing, he looked down, gripping his staff. "There may be..."

Sindel's eyes lit up. "What? Tell me!"

"When Piccolo first invaded, a martial arts master named Muitato and his two students used a technique called the Evil Containment Wave, which imprisoned Piccolo in a jar. The technique is difficult for a human to learn, but you are not human."

"If it means stopping him with risking your life, I'll do it." Sindel said. "Can you teach me the technique?"

"I think I can, but we must make haste. Even now innocents are dying at King Piccolo's hands." Kami said.

Sindel nodded, and quickly followed Kami into the palace, leaving Kitana with Mr. Popo. Kitana had just attempted another kick, and nearly hit the black genie, only for him to duck swiftly out of the way.

* * *

Piccolo laughed as he summoned Shenron to him. With that monkey tailed boy and his companions incapacitated, there was no one left to stop him. The sky darkened with black clouds, followed by a beam of golden light from the Dragon Balls. The beam ascended to the heavens until Shenron, the eternal dragon, appeared. Above, Emperor Pilaf, Mai, Shu, and Piccolo's pterodactyl-like son, Piano, watched from Piccolo's airship.

King Piccolo smiled evilly as Shenron turned his red eyes to him. In a loud, thunderous voice, Shenron spoke to the evil Namekian. "I WILL GRANT ONE WISH. TELL ME WHAT IT IS YOU DESIRE."

"At last..." King Piccolo said. He then yelled out with a loud voice that could be heard by Pilaf and his group above. "I wish for..."

"Ah!" A small, childlike voice suddenly yelled. Piccolo looked over in surprise to see that little white midget with the clown-like face standing there, yelling out at the dragon. "Make King Piccolo disappear from this..."

With a snarl, Piccolo shot his hand out and fired a Masenko that struck Chiaotzu right in the chest. Giving a yell of pain, Chiaotzu was sent flying back several meters. Nearby, Tien Shinhan watched with horror as his best friend and brother hit the ground. His hat, which was blown off in the blast, floated gently down next to his little white head.

Chiaotzu, the life fading from his eyes, muttered Tien's name for a moment, before dropping dead.

"CHIAOTZU!" Tien yelled in anguish and rage. King Piccolo chuckled darkly, looking at the bodies of Master Roshi and Chiaotzu.

"Now that the runts out of the way, time to get back to business." Piccolo turned back to Shenron. "Mighty dragon Shenron, I wish for eternal youth!"

Shenron's red eyes seemed to flash, and Piccolo grunted as his wrinkly old appearance started to change into a younger, more muscular appearance. His dark green skin grew lighter, and his teeth became less dull and more knife-like. Tien paled, sensing the evil Namekian's power growing higher after his transformation. Piccolo laughed, and lifted his hand up towards Shenron. Tien blinked in confusion when a sphere of orange energy began forming in his palm, and he paled, realizing that Piccolo was going to kill the dragon.

Suddenly, there was a loud, banshee like scream, and Piccolo yelled in pain when a wave of purple ki exploded against his shoulder, blowing his arm clean off. Piccolo howled in pain, gripping his bleeding stump. While King Piccolo was wailing, Shenron vanished in a flash of light and the Dragon Balls flew in multiple directions, where they would stay dormant for another year. As the sky became clear once more, Piccolo grunted as his arm regenerated itself. Flexing it to get the feel of it, Piccolo snarled and looked around. to find the fool that attacked him.

Suddenly, Piccolo saw movement from above and looked up to see a white-haired woman clad in purple and black battle armor swoop down towards him. She let out another banshee scream, and Piccolo's eyes went wide when a purple sonic wave struck the ground a few paces from him, obliterating the surface. The wave slowly made its way toward him, and Piccolo quickly flew away just in time to avoid it. Piccolo snarled at the mysterious woman, who landed a few meters away from him, glaring at him. Her hair seemed to flow mystically about.

"You... wretched hag!" The demon king snarled, his hands balled up into fists ready to tear this woman apart. "How dare you attack me?!"

Sindel's eyes narrowed. "I don't take kindly to tyrants attempting to endanger my home. I've already lost one home, and I don't plan on losing another. Especially to a pathetic and weak excuse for a warrior like you."

Tien watched in wonder. This woman was able to physically wound Piccolo. From above, Pilaf and his crew watched with confusion and shock.

"Who's that?" Pilaf asked aloud. Mai and Shu shrugged, while Piano just looked shocked that someone was able to harm his father.

"Weak... and... pathetic..." King Piccolo said, eyes wide. His face slowly contorted into a snarl, his body shaking with rage. "You dare insult my pride, woman? I'll rip the flesh from your bones!"

"No, you won't." Sindel stated a matter of fact. "Your going back where you belong. Now hurry along and let's make this quick. My daughter is probably wondering where I am."

King Piccolo gave an enraged yell and fired three finger beams, only for Sindel to disappear from sight, leaving the beams to explode against the grassy plain. Piccolo spotted Sindel moving at superspeed, and fired off a few more beams which Sindel swiftly avoided. Giving a warrior's yell, Sindel leapt forward and drove her foot right into Piccolo's face. Piccolo could feel his jaw break at the contact and was sent flying backwards.

Sindel quickly appeared behind Piccolo, her left fist surging with purple ki. With another yell, she prepared to swing her fist at the demon king, only for King Piccolo to swing his leg right into Sindel's gut, causing her to stumble back, grunting in pain.

King Piccolo swung his clawed fist towards Sindel, attempting to bash her head off of her shoulders. However, he ended up only striking an afterimage, and he looked around wildly for the Edenian Queen. Suddenly, Sindel's sharp heals struck Piccolo from behind and sent him crashing to the ground. Not wasting a single moment, Sindel brought her foot down on Piccolo's back, her heal impaling his right shoulder blade, causing him to yell in pain.

Piccolo quickly swung his hand back and backhanded Sindel in the face, causing her to stumble back a few feet. Before Sindel to counter Piccolo's strike, the demon king fired a ki blast which enveloped Sindel in a large explosion.

Piccolo chuckled, ready to congradulate himself overh is opponent's defeat, when Sindel suddenly flew out of the inferno, yelling in fury. Before he could react, Sindel punched him square in the jaw, causing his head to fly back, spit flying from his mouth. Jumping forward, Sindel beat her foot against Piccolo's face, and she kneed him right in the gut, and the force sent him flying up into the air. At super speed, she met him in midair and delivered a number of lightning fast jabs all over his chest, her hands straightened out knife-like. A final jab struck him right in the throat, and before Piccolo could grip his throat in pain, Sindel delivered an uppercut that sent Piccolo flying even higher. Then, Sindel appeared above him and delivered a roundhouse kick that sent Piccolo flying to the ground. When he hit it, there was a pillar of dirt, and Piccolo was left in a crater, brutally beaten and exhausted.

Piccolo looked up as Sindel landed above him. He gave a vicious snarl and fired a golden ki blast at her, but she just batted it away with ease.

"W-What are you?" Piccolo stuttered in shock.

Sindel glared at him. "I am Queen Sindel, empress of a lost world and the last warrior of the Edenians. The last of the Edenians, and a friend of Lord Kami."

Piccolo gawked. So that's how this woman was so powerful! She had trained under his other half. If she had mastered his teachings, that meant she was stronger than him. He looked up at her fearfully.

"P-please... don't kill me." He begged. "I promise to change my ways."

"You're lying to me. I can tell. Kami told me that you were nothing but pure evil. Redemption is beyond you." Sindel said, glaring at the demon king with disgust. "But I will not kill you. I know that doing so would kill Kami as well. But there is another solution."

Piccolo blinked in confusion when Sindel put her hand out. Then, there was a flash of yellow light as Sindel used Magic Materialization, a technique taught to her by Kami, to make a gray bottle appear in her palm. It had red Japanese lettering on it, and Piccolo's eyes widened when he realized what it was.

"No... No please not that! Not again!" He shook his head frantically as an aura of purple, wind-like ki surrounded the bottle and it floated gently down near King Piccolo.

Sindel didn't listen, and merely put her hands together and closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath. Nearby, Tien watched in shock as Sindel balled her hands up into fists, and then with a yell, pointed them outwards. "EVIL CONTAINMENT WAVE!" She yelled, and a wave of green energy suddenly washed over King Piccolo. The demon king let out a horrified scream as he felt himself being lifted off the ground. With a grunt, Sindel waved her hands to the side, and the green wave, carrying Piccolo with it, was suddenly drawn into the bottle.

"NO!" Piccolo yelled as he was magically sealed into the bottle. Once the green light had vanished in the little bottle, it started thrashing about as Piccolo fought to break free, and sparks of green energy flew through the open top.

Panting heavily from the overuse of ki she had to use to perform the technique, Sindel Magically Materlialized a cork and placed it over the top. As soon as she put it in, the bottle stopped shaking, and everything was calm once more.

Picking the bottle up, Sindel turned and faced Pilaf's group, who were all dumbstruck at the outcome of the bout. Sindel glared at all of them, making them all shiver with fear. Sindel lifted the bottle out for all to see. "This is what will become of those who threaten this peaceful realm! From this day forth, this world will be under my protection! Warlords and villains like King Piccolo will have to face me before they attempt to endanger my home! Know this, and begone from here!"

Almost immediately, Pilaf and his crew set the airship to depart, and Sindel smirked in satisfaction as it flew away. Not that the little imp would be any trouble for her, but Sindel just got rid of a potential nuisance. She then turned to the wounded triclops who had been watching the entire fight. Giving him a warm smile, she knelt down next to him.

"You are wounded, child." She said gently, and then took out a small bean from her pocket. "Take this. It will heal your wounds."

Tien looked at the bean, unsure, but decided not to argue with the woman who defeated King Piccolo. He took it and ate it, and in an instant, he felt his wounds disappear and his power level jump to new heights.

"Woah..." He said, jumping up. Sindel smiled at him and stood up as well. "That's amazing! Thank you."

"It is no trouble. I live to help those in need." She looked at the dead bodies of the old man and albino kid. "Do not worry, though. The ordeal has passed, and the Dragon Balls can be used again in a year. Your friends' sacrifices will not be in vain."

"Thank you." Tien nodded gratefully. "What is your name?"

"My name is Sindel. I am a friend of the guardian of Earth." Sindel answered. "And you are?"

"Tien Shinhan." Tien said, bowing respectfully.

Sindel bowed back with a smile. "It is good to meet you. Forgive me, but I must return to my daughter. She is probably worried about me. Perhaps we will see each other again in the future."

Tien watched as the Edenian Queen flew off into the sky and out of sight. This woman was quite strong. Tien realized he'd need to train a lot harder if he was going to match her in power. The same would go to Goku as well.

* * *

Sindel landed back on Kami's lookout, her mission complete. Kitana saw her mother land and ran up to her, giving her a hug.

"Mother!" She said, and looked up. "Where have you been? Master Kami wouldn't tell me where you were."

"Peace, child." Sindel said. "I was only running an errand for Master Kami. It is of no concern."

Kitana pouted in frustration, but nonetheless nodded. "Yes, mother."

"Sindel!" A voice said, and the Edenian looked up to see Kami smiling at her, although he was doubled over and gripping his stomach as if in pain.

Sindel went up to him and handed him the bottle containing King Piccolo. "It is done, my friend. Your evil half is once again sealed away from the world."

Kami gave a chuckle. "Yes, I could feel the punches and kicks you inflicted upon him. Don't worry. My wounds will heal soon. Now, let's put this monster someplace where he won't be able to escape again."

Kami was about to leave Sindel's presence, but then stopped and faced her. "Sindel?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you, for risking your life to ensure I don't lose mine." He said, giving her a warm smile. Sindel returned the smile, and bowed in respect to her good friend.

* * *

Lol. King Piccolo never stood a chance. In the next chapter we'll be at the 23rd Martial Arts Tournament three years later, by which time Sindel will have mastered everything Kami had taught her, and Kitana will be 19 years old. Now in this story, Edenians have no power limit when it comes to training, similar to Saiyans, and they have the natural ability to adapt to any technique in little time. It may sound weird, but that's only cuz it is. And for the sake of satisfaction, here are some power levels.

**Sindel**: 320

**Kami**: 220

**King Piccolo**: 260

**Kitana**: 190


	3. The Princess Joins the Party

**Chapter 3: The Princess Joins the Party**

Three years had passed since Sindel sealed away King Piccolo, and relative peace had returned to Earth. The year after Piccolo's defeat, the humans had undone the damage the demon king had done to the planet using the Dragon Balls, Kami, as usual, watched over the Earth from the edge of his lookout while Mr. Popo tended to the flowers. Kitana was currently off doing who knows what, while Sindel stood beside Kami, joining him in keeping watch over the planet.

Sindel blinked when Kami let out a chuckle and shook his head. "There at it again."

Sindel frowned. "At what again?"

"Hm? Oh, the humans are starting the World Martial Arts Tournament again." Kami said with a smile. "I wonder who will come out on top this year..."

"World Martial Arts Tournament?" Sindel said, confused. "What's that?"

"It's a martial arts tournament that's held on Earth every three years. It used to be every five years, but for some reason they changed it. It usually involves the strongest warriors Earth has to offer, and the price is five-hundred thousand Zeni. Seems a bit ludicrous if you ask me. What would a person do with all that money?" Kami said with a chuckle.

_A martial arts tournament? So like the Mortal Kombat tournament? It must be different if the only prize is fortune and glory..._

Kami's voice broke Sindel out of her thoughts. "Perhaps you should enter. It would be an appropriate way to test your skills."

"Me?" Sindel said incredulously. "If I entered, it wouldn't really be much of a competition. The humans wouldn't stand a chance."

Kami could not really argue with the Edenian. Her power level had grown higher in the past three years. She was stronger than he was now. Kami just shrugged and looked back into the blue skies.

"Then I guess the tournament will run as it always has."

"Tournament?"

Sindel and Kami turned to see Kitana standing there, her eyes wide with curiosity. "What tournament?"

Sindel gave her daughter a smile. "A martial arts tournament that the humans hold every three years. It's starting today."

"A martial arts tournament? As in fighting tournament?" Kitana said, growing excited. "Could I join?"

Kami looked at Sindel, who just shrugged. She really had no problem if her daughter were to enter. She was stronger than an average human, so winning could be a possibility for her. Plus, it could be a suitable way for Kitana to test her skills after she just completed her training. Kami smiled and then turned back to Kitana.

"I don't see why not. It may be good for you now that your training is over." The wise guardian said.

Kitana smiled excitedly. "Excellent. So where do I sign up?"

"Just use your senses and look for the highest abundance of high power levels. That will undoubtedly be where the tournament is being held." Kami explained.

Sindel stepped forward. "Come, Kitana. I will lead you there."

"Yes, mother." Kitana nodded.

"Have fun, girls." Kami said, waving.

As the two Edenians flew off from the lookout, Mr. Popo, watering can in hand, strode up to Kami's side and watched them leave.

"You do know that the humans don't stand a chance, right?"

Kami chuckled. "Yes."

* * *

The preliminaries were about to begin. All of the contestants were gathered in the enormous combat room where the small arena was located. One particular group of warriors was ready to begin. One of the warriors, a bald monk named Krillin, pulled his gi over his shoulder and tied the black belt around it to keep it fastened.

Krillin gave his friends a smile and flexed his muscles. "Ta-da! Eat your heart out. Isn't it great? I knew Master Roshi wouldn't let us have our own uniforms back, so I had this one altered. What do you guys think?"

Yamcha, the scar-faced warrior who was once raving desert bandit, removed his blue cloak to reveal an identical gi. He smirked at Krillin. "Seems like we know the same tailor."

Krillin gawked at Yamcha, and then crossed his arms, giving a huff.

"Hey, me too!"

Krillin blinked and looked over to see Son Goku, his best friend and schoolmate, also wearing a similar gi with a blue shirt underneath. Goku gave his signature goofy smile, and his tail moved around excitedly. After the King Piccolo crisis, Goku, Krillin, and Yamcha spent the good three years training with Tien and Chiaotzu. Their good friend, Bulma Brief, helped out by creating a gravity device that allowed the warriors to work under harder gravities than normal, raising their power levels considerably.

Krillin frowned at Goku. "Great. Next thing you know, you'll both be shaking your heads."

Yamcha just laughed at the two, shaking his head. He looked around. "I wonder where Tien and Chiaotzu are."

Goku shrugged. "Maybe they went to go find some food. I'm actually kinda..."

Goku suddenly went wide eyed as he sensed a large power level. The ability to sense ki mysteriously came to him and the others during their training, although Goku's was stronger, with only Tien coming close to him.

Krillin and Yamcha saw Goku's expression and exchanged glances. Krillin looked back at Goku. "Goku? Hey, buddy what's wrong?"

"I just sensed a new power level." Goku said, growing excited. "A big one, too. Bigger than King Piccolo's."

Krillin and Yamcha looked surprise, and watched as Goku turned his head to the entrance hall. The two followed his gaze, the three were surprised when a beautiful young woman entered. She was wearing a rather revealing outfit that consisted of a light purple-and-silver halter top with matching bikini briefs, as well as a loincloth at the back, knee-high boots, and detached sleeves. Her black hair was tied back into long, black braid that flowed slightly behind her. The other contestants watched her with awe, and Krillin and Yamcha nearly drooled at the sight of her.

"Who. Is. That?" Krillin said as he watched the girl with amazement.

"Must be a contestant." Goku said, not even noticing how beautiful she looked. "Her power is huge, though."

"A contestant? Dressed like _that_?" Yamcha said, incredulously.

"Why else would she be here?" Krillin said. He blushed when the woman turned towards them and smiled and started making her way over to them.

Tien and Chiaotzu, who were standing in a corner sparring, sensed the power as well and turned to face the mysterious woman. Tien's three eyes widened at the sight of her.

"Wonder who she is." Chiaotzu wondered allowed.

"I don't know." Tien said. "With that power level... she could be one of Shen's students."

"I've never seen her before." Chiaotzu said.

"Well, let's introduce ourselves, then." Tien said. Chiaotzu nodded and followed his best friend over to Goku, Krillin, and Yamcha.

The girl stopped in front of the group, and bowed respectfully, much to their surprise. She looked at Tien, who blushed when she gave him a warm smile.

"Tien Shinhan, I presume?" The girl asked. The boys all looked at Tien in surprise.

"You know her?" Krillin whispered.

Ignoring the bald monk, Tien answered the girl. "Yes. I'm sorry, I don't believe we've met."

"No, we haven't. But you know Sindel, don't you?" The girl asked.

Tien's eyes widened in surprise, as did everyone else's. Tien had told them of the mysterious woman who defeated King Piccolo and saved the world. Goku was ecstatic over meeting this warrior and spent much time trying to seek her out but to no avail.

"How do you know her?" Tien asked.

The girl smiled. "My name is Kitana. Sindel is my mother."

"What?" Yamcha nearly yelled, earning a frown from Kitana. He immediately quieted down. "Sorry."

"You're Sindel's daughter?" Krillin asked, getting a nod from the girl. "Where is she? Is she participating, too?"

Kitana shook her head. "No. My mother doesn't believe it would be a fair competition if she joined. So she's just going to observe."

"Aw. That stinks." Goku said, pouting. He really wanted to fight the Edenian queen.

Kitana smiled at the monkey-tailed teenager. "I sensed your power levels when I arrived. Your's are the strongest here. I look forward to testing myself against each of you."

Everyone bowed back in respect. "Thank you, Miss Kitana." Tien said.

Goku was about to ask Kitana how strong she was, when a finger tapped his shoulder. He turned around in curiosity, and was surprised to see another girl standing behind him. The others turned around as well, Krillin and Yamcha once again gawking. Kitana, Tien, and Chiaotzu all blinked at her. She too had a reasonable power level. Not as strong as the rest of them though. She was wearing a a blue cheongsam (Chinese dress) with red pants, arm band, and shoes, white socks and a red sash. Like Kitana, her hair was black, except it was shorter and tied into a ponytail instead of a braid.

She batted her eyelashes sweetly at Goku. "Hi, Goku."

Goku just blinked at her in confusion, and looked at her closely. "Er... do I know you?"

At this, the girl's mouth fell open in shock, and her eyes wide. She suddenly started shaking, anger building up in her eyes, her face contorting into an enraged snarl. The others backed away in shock when she let out a loud, enraged scream that echoed throughout the room.

"YOU FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK!" She screamed. The others, as well as everyone else in the room, stared at her in shock and fear. Tien and Kitana were surprised, but unnerved, while Goku just blinked innocently at her.

"A-are you okay?" He asked. "Is it something I said?"

The girl just huffed, and turned away from the group, pushing past a few of the other contestants, who watched her leave in confusion. Goku blinked. "That was strange..."

Krillin just looked at his friend incredulously. "Strange as in beautiful! Who was she?"

Goku just looked at his friends, appearing lost. "I... don't know."

Krillin blinked and frowned. "Come on, Goku, we're your pals. You can tell us."

"I-I really don't know, Krillin." Goku said honestly, his tail moving around nervously. "I've never seen her before in my life."

"Never met-Goku she looked ready to rip your head off! You really expect us to believe..."

"Oh, leave the boy alone, Krillin." Kitana said, causing the bald monk to blink at her. "He's probably met many girls in his life. It's understandable if he doesn't remember her."

Krillin blushed at the Edenian, and just grumbled frustratingly as he left Goku alone. Goku smiled at Kitana in appreciation, and she nodded back.

Yamcha whispered to Tien. "That girl definitely knew Goku from somewhere. Don't you think so?"

Tien just nodded, still bearing a look of shock at the girl's outburst.

"Attention contestants!" The voice of the announcer said, getting everyone's attention. "Sorry to keep you waiting, but the preliminaries are about to begin. Please gather round at the center of the room."

Immediately, the crowd of contestants swarmed into the center of the hall around an enormous podium, where the elderly announcer began speaking. "I'd like to thank for your support of the martial arts society. As you know, the World Martial Arts Tournament is held every three years. This year, the number of participants is seventy-two. Much lower than the record numbers enjoyed last time. Unfortunately, recent events have pinned our roster. I am also aware of the dangerous and difficult reputation carried by this tournament may have scared many would-be participants away. Therefore, it is safe to say that the seventy-two warriors who stand before me are of the highest caliber."

While the man had been talking, Tien looked over Kitana, and found himself captured by how beautiful she was. He wondered why she hadn't ever tried to join before, and how strong she really was.

* * *

Outside, the crowd of people waiting to watch the tournament bustled restlessly as they waited to get in. In the middle of it all, Master Roshi, Bulma Brief, Launch, and the two runs Oolong and Puar tried to look over and see what was happening.

"Look at this crowd." Roshi said, amazed.

"I think we're gonna be stuck her a while." Bulma said with a frown.

"It's like a sea of people!" Puar said as he looked over with amazement.

Oolong just glared up at the little floating cat-like thing. "What are you complaining about, ya' big furry balloon?"

But Puar didn't seem to hear him, as his attention was focused on someone else. "Guys, look!"

Bulma, Launch, Roshi, and Oolong blinked and looked up, as did everyone else in the crowd. The crowd erupted into wonder and amazement when a beautiful, almost god-like woman floated above them. She had long, snow-white hair tied into a ponytail and silver-blue eyes, and was wearing a short, dark purple bustier which stopped and split above her naval and had silver trimmings and the tear-shaped bustier had an opening in the middle, laced together with crossed strings. She was also wearing a matching thong of a similar design with a long flowing loincloth at the front, with embroidered designs on the center panel similar to the subtle designs on her bustier. Finally, she had thigh-high boots and matching arm gauntlets along with a tiara on her head. She floated gently above the crowd, not seeming to notice them.

Whispers started to erupt through the crowd.

"Who's she?"

"Oh my god... that's the woman who defeated King Piccolo!"

"She's beautiful!"

"_Nice_ outfit..."

"She must be like a superhero..."

Roshi, Bulma, Launch, Oolong, and Puar looked at her in amazement.

"That's the woman Tien said stopped King Piccolo?" Launch said, cocking her head. "She doesn't look like she could harm a fly."

"I wonder where she came from." Bulma wondered.

"I don't know, but she's got quite the bussoms on her." Roshi said, smiling pervetedly at her.

Bulma glared at him in disgust. "Kami, is that all you think about? Jeez your such a pervert!"

"Hey, I'm old! Can't an old guy have some fun once in his life?" Roshi defended himself. He looked back up at Sindel and saw that she was floating away from them. He immediately started pushing through the crowd to catch up with her. "Hey, wait! Miss! Wait, I just want to ask you... UMFF!"

Roshi's face plowed right in between a blonde girl's breasts. He looked up slowly to see the girl, who was red in the face, shaking with anger. "Why don't you watch where you're going pal!"

The girl slapped Roshi across the face and stalked off angrily, leaving Roshi standing there with a red slap mark on his face. "Ow..."

"You deserved that." Bulma said, glaring.

Oolong just shook his head at the lecherous old master. "Why do you always have to get us in trouble?"

"It wasn't on purpose..." Roshi muttered, his nose bleeding.

Suddenly, the announcer's voice spoke up. "It is time for the lottery! Participants will be paired according to the numbers drawn!"

Launch looked worried. "I hope that the boys won't have to fight Sindel."

"I don't think she's entering." Bulma said. "All the participants have already entered. She must be here to watch."

"Well, that's pity. Was hoping to see what she could dish out, hehehe." Roshi said. Bulma just rolled her eyes.

* * *

The long line of contestants moved slowly as they picked their numbers out of the box. It was almost Yamcha's turn. As the line moved on, Tien spoke to Chiaotzu telepathically.

_Chiaotzu, rig the numbers so we don't have to fight each other. And put Sindel's daughter in a seperate block. I want to see how she fights first._

_Okay, Tien._

Tien looked at Kitana, who noticed his stare and smiled. Tien blushed and looked away.

As the line moved, Chiaotzu used his telepethy to make sure that his friends chose the right numbers. Yamcha came first, followed by Goku, then that strange girl who yelled at him before. Chaiotzu and Tien followed shortly after, followed by some fat man in a mask that Goku seemed to recognize, but let it go. Then it was Krillin, then finally Kitana.

The boys and Kitana regrouped with each other, all looking at their numbers. Goku saw that his card said 2.

"I'm number two." He said. "Looks like I'll be in the first match of block one."

"I'm in block two." Yamcha said. "How about you, Krillin?"

"The last half of block one." The monk said.

"I'll be in the last half of block two."

Krillin looked at Chiaotzu. "Wow. Chiaotzu isn't gonna fight until the last half of block three. This is great. What about you, Kitana?"

Kitana looked at her card. "I'm in the final match of the last block." She sounded disappointing.

"Bummer." Goku said.

Krillin glanced at the strange girl who screamed at Goku before. "Wonder what block she's in..."

Tien noticed that Kitana's eyes seemed to widen slightly, and she smiled.

"What is it?" Tien asked.

Kitana looked at him, and then looked upwards at one of the open windows surrounding the room. "Mother."

The boys blinked and followed Kitana's gaze and all saw Sindel standing in the open window, smiling down at all them. Kitana smiled and nodded, while the boys just looked at her in awe. Not only was she beautiful, but her power level was huge! There was no doubt that this was the woman who stopped King Piccolo.

"That's her?" Goku said, blinking. "She's not at all like I thought she would be..."

"And... she's your mother?" Yamcha asked Kitana, who nodded. Yamcha just looked shocked. "She doesn't look a day over twenty-five!"

Kitana smirked. "Don't be fooled. My mother is at least a thousand years old."

"What?" Tien asked, shocked. "How is that possible?"

"Well, you see, my mother and I..."

"The preliminaries are about to begin!" The announcer shouted, cutting Kitana off. The group looked at the announcer.

"Of the seventy-two competitors, only eight will advance to the next round!" The announcer explained. "First up will be the matches in block one!"

The official then started to speak over the crowd. "Remember the rules of conduct! If you fall off the stage, pass out, or surrender, you lose. Kills are not permitted in this event. Violators will be expelled. No exceptions. Be careful and fight well. At this time, number two and three, please come up to the stage."

Goku smiled, his tail moving around in excitement. "That's me!"

Krillin smiled. "Alright Goku. Let's see if all that work in Bulma's gravity chamber really payed off."

Goku smiled and went up onto the stage. Kitana watched him leave, and Krillin glanced at her with a smile.

"I think you're in for a good show."

* * *

The preliminaries will begin in the next chapter. Now, for power levels.

**Kitana**: 910

**Goku**: 850

**Tien**: 780

**Chiaotzu**: 550

**Krillin**: 750

**Yamcha**: 700

**Chi-Chi**: 130

**Sindel**: 1,050

Now, for those of you who think Sindel and Kitana are to powerful, its because of their Edenian strength being added to the adaption of ki manipulation and the added training they received from Kami. As for Goku and his friends, they are stronger than the original canon because in this universe, Bulma created the gravity chamber early, allowing them to move ahead much faster than before. However, since Sindel defeated King Piccolo, Goku never drank the ultra divine water and never trained under Kami. Chi-Chi is the weakest cuz Sindel's presence in this universe hasn't affected her story just yet.


	4. A Man Without Honor

**Chapter 4: A Man Without Honor**

The group watched as Goku stepped up onto the stage, awaiting his opponent. Krillin, Yamcha, Tien, and Chiaotzu looked at Goku expectently, while Kitana just looked with curiosity. The mysterious screaming girl watched from the crowd, glaring daggers at Goku. Sindel sat up in the window, noticed only a few.

Goku watched as his opponent stepped onto the opposite end of the stage, and blinked when he saw who it was. A black man with a big affro clad in a yellow robe with a blue sash tied around the waste.

"Chappa?" Goku said, confused. "But I heard you were destroyed by Piccolo's enforcers."

"Chappa?" Kitana whispered to the group.

Krillin glanced at the Edenian. "King Chappa. He was the champion of the tournament for three years before Goku beat him in the last tournament."

Chappa glared at Goku, still a bit bitter about his sudden defeat last time. But he was prepared. "I fought the creature called Tambourine and survived." Chappa then smirked. "I have waited a long time to get back in the ring with you, Goku. You and I have some unfinished business. Long before your victory, I was champion of this tournament. Now I will have my revenge."

Chappa smirked, quite sure of his victory. But the others knew better.

Goku gave Chappa and smirk of his own. Chappa glared at the smirk. "I will reclaim the title Goku. You do not stand a chance."

Goku shrugged. "Whatever you say."

The official then called the match. "Ready, you may now begin!"

The two bowed respectfully to one another, and then Chappa entered a fighting stance, while Goku just stood still, smirking at the black fighter. Assuming a battle stance, Chappa glared at Goku.

"I have developed a few new moves Goku, just for this occasion."

Goku just stood still, giving Chappa a blank expression. His friends looked confused, while above, Sindel watched with curiousity. This monkey tailed man was an interesting case. His power level was higher than his friends.

Chappa gave Goku another glare. "Is this your defense? You fool. Are you so weak that you won't even try to fight?"

"What is he up to?" Kitana wondered aloud.

"Don't worry." Yamcha assured. "He's okay. I can't sense anything from him."

"His mind is completely cleared." Tien added. "If King Chappa doesn't realize it, he doesn't stand a chance."

Sindel overheard the triclop's statement, and her eyebrow rose in curiosity. She looked at Goku with intent. _What are you waiting for?_

Chappa and Goku continued to stare each other down, and Chappa, growing nervous by Goku's lack of expression or action, rushed forward with a yell at great speed and delivered a kick. However, Goku vanished and Chappa's foot flew through an afterimage. Chappa immediatly spun around to find Goku.

"Eh-Where has he gone?!" Chappa wondered. Goku's friends just smirked when they saw Goku materialize right behind Chappa, who didn't even notice he was there. "Where are you you coward?!"

Then, Goku delivered a tiny chop to King Chappa's neck. Chappa's mouth opened in shock, and he let out an inaudible gasp as he fell face first onto the ground, instantly unconcious. The other fighters just looked in surprise, a little shocked that the match was ended so quickly. Goku's friends merely smirked, while Sindel and Kitana traded glances, clearly impressed.

"Er... it seems number three has fainted." The official said. "Number two is the winner!"

Goku smiled as the audience began congratulating him, and slowly made his way off the stage. Yamcha looked on with a smirk, his arms crossed. "I have a feeling we haven't begun to see Goku's power."

"Yeah." Krillin nodded. "He doesn't even blink."

"I'll admit. He is good." Kitana said, and then smirked. "But I've seen better."

The boys looked at her in surprise. Goku stepped down from the stage and rejoined his friends, who all gave him their congratulations. Goku smiled at them all.

"Thanks, guys."

The preliminaries went on for some time after that. The mysterious girl in the blue dress dispatched her opponent with ease, displaying amazing speed and reflexes, all the while still giving Goku an ugly scowl. The fat man in the mask defeated his opponent in only a few seconds, catching his fist in midair and then knocking him out with a single punch. Krillin went up against a man twice his size, but there fight lasted only five seconds. As they were staring each other down, Krillin immediately flew at his opponent at lightning fast speed and delivered a roundhouse kick that knocked his opponent out cold. Yamcha, not feeling very creative, defeated his opponent the same way. Tien's fight was short as well, as his opponent flew at him with an outstretched fist, but Tien just casually lifted his hand up and poked the fighter's throat with two of his fingers. The man stumbled around for a few moments before falling unconscious.

Kitana observed them all in fascination. So there were some humans on this world with potential. She would have like for Kami or her mother to have made mention of them. They would have made excellent sparring partners.

Chiaotzu, however, was not so fortunate in his match.

Levitating in midair, he waited confidently for his opponent to enter the ring. But as soon as he did, Chiaotzu's face went paler than usual and he started shaking with fear. The moment that long, black braid waved through the air, Chiaotzu saw a flash of light before he was struck hard in the head. Letting out a pained scream, Chiaotzu was sent flying back and struck the ground so hard he was instantly unconscious.

From above, Sindel blinked in surprise and immediately stood up.

Kitana, who was watching the bout, gasped in surprise when the little psychic went down. Somebody actually managed to defeat him? She hadn't sensed any higher power levels when she arrived...

The others heard her gasp and turned to face the arena. Tien's stomach clenched when he saw his friend lying down unconscious when the referee seeing if he was okay.

"Chiaotzu!" He said, running up to see if his friend was alright. He ran up onto the stage, followed closely by Kitana, Goku, Krillin, and Yamcha. He knelt down next to the little psychic, shoving the referee away. He was out cold, but still breathing, for which Tien was thankful for.

"Is he okay?" Goku asked, wide eyed.

Tien looked at his best friend in shock. "H-how could this have happened?" Gently, Tien reached down and picked Chiaotzu up off the ground, finding that he was still breathing, for which he was thankful for, yet had a concussion and a few broken ribs.

"Chiaotzu..." Tien said sadly. He looked up when he heard a familiar chuckle.

"I didn't kill him, though he should have died." The man said. "However, I didn't want to be expelled."

"You will pay for this! You... yo..." Tien's three eyed went wide when he saw the symbol of the Crane School on the man's robe. Looking up at the man's face, he saw the face of Tao Pai Pai, although his face was concealed by a cybernetic visor.

Tao smirked. "We meet again, Shinhan?"

"No... T-Tao?" Tien said, earning a chuckle from the assassin. "But... you're dead! Goku killed you!"

"Not quite." Tao said, and he turned his gaze towards the monkey-tailed warrior. "Ah, Goku. How you've grown."

Goku's face was shock-stricken. "M-Mercenary Tao? What... how... your face..."

"You died!" Tien said. "How can you still be alive?"

Tao smirked. "With a lot of imagination and a lot of Zeni, there is life after death. But it wasn't cheap. It took a while to get my parts in order. Goku did a pretty damn good job on me when he last met. But here I am. The world's first fully functional cyborg assassin."

The referee, who was listening in the on the conversation, nervously stepped forward. Tao frowned when the man stepped in between him and the group he was conversing with.

"Uh... excuse me? Yeah, hi. I'm afraid you're going to have to leave the stage. The next match is about to commence."

Tao's cybernetic eyes seemed to flash. "You seem to enjoy your life. It would be a shame if I had to take it away."

The referee went pale and immediately backed away from the assassin. Kitana glared, already disliking this man, and leaned towards Goku.

"A little background would help." She whispered.

Goku glared at the assassin. "He's Mercenary Tao. A killer."

"A killer?" Krillin said, suddenly looking scared.

Goku nodded. "He's also the younger brother of Master Shen, Tien's old master. And if I remember their order correctly, he's Tien and Chiaotzu's superior."

"Tien's old master?" Kitana said, curious. "What became of this Shen?"

"During the last tournament, he tried to have Tien and Chiaotzu kill us to avenge his brother. But they rebelled from Shen, and he left. We didn't see him again after that." Goku explained.

"B-But, we don't even know his brother!" Yamcha stuttered. "How do you even know him?"

Goku started thinking back years ago, during his first search for his grandfather's four-star Dragon Ball. "You guys remember when I fought the Red Ribbon Army?"

"Yeah." Krillin said.

"Uh-huh." Yamcha said.

"No." Kitana said.

Krillin looked at the Edenian Princess. "The Red Ribbon Army. They were like a terrorist organization that tried to steal the Dragon Balls. The Dragon Balls are..."

"I know what they are." Kitana immediately interrupted. "I trained under Master Kami, guardian of Earth. He created the Dragon Balls. So anyway, Goku, what does this man have to do with your story?" She glared at the cybernetic assassin, who returned her glare with a scoff of indifference. He clearly wasn't moved by this woman.

"He was hired by the Red Ribbon Army to kill me, but I overpowered him." Then Goku scratched his head. "He... he threw this little can at me and tried to run away, so I kicked the can back at him, then there was this big explosion and he was gone!"

"That's right." Tao said spitefully, remembering that day. "Little Goku was responsible for that 'big explosion.' After that, I guess you could say my entire life fell to pieces."

"Yes, well, you'll understand if I can hold back the tears." Kitana said sarcastically.

"Watch it, little girl." Tao warned. "Despite what you might think, I'm not above harming a woman. Especially a pretty one such as yourself."

"Keep going. You'll find someone who cares." Kitana said boredly. This man obviously couldn't sense her power level, but she could sense his. It was clouded by his cybernetics but she could catch a glimpse of it, and it was only a hundred more than Chiaotzu's was, and she and the others were much stronger than that.

Tao growled at the girl, when Tien suddenly interrupted. "What do you plan on doing now, then?"

Tao looked back at the triclops and smirked. "Well, that's up to Goku. I'm here to fight, but I'm not after the title."

"Then what are you after?" Goku asked.

"Revenge. An eye for an eye if you get the meaning." Tao said, tapping his cybernetic eyes. "I can take your life now, or I can crush you in the ring. After that, I will deal with you, Tien Shinhan. It would be fitting to rid my brother of this burden. What was it he called you? A traitor?"

"I did not betray Master Shen. I was loyal to his house." Tien scowled, and then looked down at Chiaotzu, who was still unconscious in his arms. "Until I discovered that I did not share his ideals."

Tao just laughed. "Your fate has been sealed already, Shinhan."

Tien glared at the assassin. "So be it. I'll fight you. And you will lose."

Tao glared at Tien for a few moments, before bursting into laughter. He shook his head. "You haven't changed. You still have a big mouth. I'll gladly shut it."

The group glared as Tao walked from the stage, and slowly walked off of it themselves, Tien being forced to hand Chiaotzu to the paremedics, who took him and the other losers away on a stretcher. Kitana saw Tien's sad expression, and gently put a hand on his shoulder. He looked at her in surprise, and saw that she was smiling at him. He slowly smiled back, and watched as Chiaotzu was taken from the hall.

Above, Sindel watched the bout with interest. Clearly this man, this Tao, was a man without honor. Fortunately, the others had the power to make short work of him. Then she saw Kitana rest her hand on the three-eyed boy's shoulder. At this, Sindel couldn't help but smile. However, her thoughts were interrupted by a faraway voice.

_Sindel!_

_Kami? Are you alright? You sound alarmed._

_I am fine, dear, it's just... Well, I need you to come back to the lookout as soon as possible._

_What do you mean? What's wrong?_

_Just hurry and get here, please! There's something here that you have to see!_

Kami cut psychic contact with Sindel, leaving her puzzled. She looked back at her daughter, who was busy chatting with the group, and sighed. She flew up from her perch and raced off in the direction of the lookout. Whatever Kami wanted to show her, it sounded big. She wondered what it was.

* * *

Hm. Wonder what Sindel will find? Guess we'll see in the next chapter. Now for power levels.

**Tao**: 610


	5. The Last Warriors of Outworld

**Chapter 5: The Last Warriors of Outworld**

Sindel quickly descended down to Kami's Lookout, and the moment she set her foot down on its surface, Mr. Popo materialized out of nowhere, startling the Edenian Queen.

"Popo!" She yelled. "I've told you a million times not to do that!"

"Sorry, ma'am." Popo said. "But, please, come with me. It's urgent."

"Yes, Kami did mention something like that." Sindel said, rolling her eyes. "But he didn't mention what it was that was so important that I had to leave my daughter."

Popo sighed, and put his hands behind his back. "We have... guests on the lookout. I can't really explain much more, but I think it's important that you meet them."

"Guests? On the lookout?" Sindel said, surprised. She followed Popo up the stairs leading to Kami's palace. "What did they look like?"

"Well..."

Sindel and Popo entered the grand hall in Kami's palace, and Sindel stopped short when she saw Kami talking to three very familiar figures. Two of them were Shokan. One male and the other female. The third figure was a Tarkatan. They looked over at her as she entered, and the female Shokan gave her a smile.

"Empress!"

"Sheeva? Goro? Baraka?"

Kami looked over at Sindel, and his face fell with relief. "Ah, Sindel, finally! I was hoping you could shine some light on what's going on. These two appeared here through a portal like you did all those years ago. The male was ready to tear the lookout apart, while the female just kept asking questions about you and where you were."

Sheeva got on her knees, bowing to Sindel. Sindel smiled sheepishly. It had been years since somebody actually bowed to her. Goro and Baraka did the same.

"It has been some time, empress." Sheeva said, looking up at her good friend. "It is wonderful to see you again after all these years."

"Indeed. You always were good to us all." Goro added, standing up. Baraka growled in agreement.

"Yes, I suppose it is good to see you all again but..." Sindel looked at the three. "What are you all doing here?"

"It is a long story, empress." Baraka said. "One that may take some time to explain."

Sindel sighed. "Very well. Let us go to the grand hall. It is more comfortable there."

* * *

Once the group had gotten settled, Sheeva began to explain their story to Sindel and Kami.

"After you left, I heeded your words of wisdom, and informed Goro of Shao Kahn's villainy." She said. "Fortunately, he had already begun to see the signs. The Shokan were already out of favor and soon to be disposed. The Centaur would soon take out place as Shao Kahn's favored race. So, we took a leave of absence and fled to Shokan kingdom of Kuatan, where we planned out a rebellion against the emperor."

"It was going quite well, and it seemed as though our rebellion would come to pass." Goro said. "Until we were discovered."

"What happened?" Sindel said, looking from Sheeva to Goro.

Sheeva gave a glare. "That Edenian girl, Jade? You remember her, right?"

"Jade?" Sindel said, thinking back. "You mean Delia's daughter?"

Goro nodded. "Yes, that's the one. After you fled Outworld, she grew up trained as an assassin for Shao Kahn. She was fierce, bloodthirsty, and absolutely brutal. She had begun to suspect us the moment Sheeva returned from the portal. She followed us to Kuatan, discovered our rebellion, and exposed us to Shao Kahn."

"The Shokan were rounded up like cattle and brought before the emperor." Sheeva said, looking down with a grimace. "He was so furious, he ordered the immediate extermination of the Shokan race. We were all placed in camps, taken to the Flesh Pits for torture or to the Blood Pits for execution. Shao Kahn's methods were so inhumane, it was a wonder how we managed to escape."

"He just started slaughtering your entire race?" Kami said, clearly in shock. "He never offered you any chance of redemption?"

Sheeva laughed harshly. "Of course not. You do not know how Shao Kahn thinks. His mind is clouded by rage and a need for bloodshed."

"How did you two escape then?" Sindel asked. Sheeva and Goro smiled, Sheeva motioning toward the Tarkatan sitting in the room.

"Our friend, Baraka, freed Goro and I from our confinements. By the time he did, the Shokan race was doomed, and we were some of the only few left." Sheeva said sadly.

"Shao Kahn wanted us to watch the annihilation of our people and then have us die once it was finished." Goro said spitefully. "To think I ever agreed to serve that monster..."

Sheeva put a hand on Goro's shoulder, rubbing it gently. She looked back at Sindel. "But Baraka saved us from execution, and all three of us fled, making our way to the Highlands of Outworld, fleeing to this realm just as you had."

Sindel looked at the Tarkatan in surprise, and then her eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Why did you do this? I thought the Tarkatans were loyal to Shao Kahn to no end?"

Baraka looked down remorsefully. "We were. But, something happened that made me see the error of my ways."

"What was that?" Sindel wondered. Sheeva and Goro bared looks of pity, and Baraka looked up at Sindel, his eyes so sad even Sindel felt pity for the Tarkatan.

"The moment he discovered you had fled Outworld, Shao Kahn was furious. He sent his minions scouring across the known realms to find you, but to no avail. He knew nothing of this realm or any others beyond the Elder Gods' reach. You were safe here, and only Sheeva and the Shokan knew where you were." Baraka said, his hoarse voice actually sounding benevolent for once. "He had also lost a potential heir, as you had taken Kitana with you. Apparantly, making an heir through conventional means was out of the question, so he resorted to more inhumane measures to do so. He had Shang Tsung, that despicable sorcerer, spend months in the Flesh Pits trying to create a new heir. He used the blood of your daughter and crossbred it with the blood of my kind to create the 'perfect daughter.'"

Sindel's mouth fell open in shock, aghast at this new information. "He... _cloned_ my daughter?"

Baraka nodded. "Yes. He named her Mileena, and she grew up under Shao Kahn's control, and he was absolutely terrible to her. Her Edenian blood proved stronger than her Tarkatan, and she made several mistakes as princess that made Shao Kahn furious. He hurt her constantly, abusing and torturing her in front of us all. I felt pity for her, and comforted her often. I admit that... over time I grew to care for the girl. She was almost like a daughter to me. Over time, I just couldn't stand to see her suffer from Shao Kahn's wrath. So, I made a deal with Sheeva."

Sindel looked at her old bodyguard, who continued Baraka's story. "Baraka asked me what had truly become of you when you disappeared. I denied knowing anything of course, until I found out Baraka's true motivations. He wanted to get Mileena away from Outworld, away from Shao Kahn. After hours of trying to convince me, I relented, and told him everything. It was then that we struck a deal. Baraka would break me and Goro out of Shao Kahn's prison, and the four of us, Goro, Baraka, Mileena, and I, would flee from Outworld through the portal and find you."

"But, why me?" Sindel asked.

"Who else?" Sheeva asked. "We had no allies left in the realms, and you were the only one I could trust. If we were to go to another realm we would be alienated. You were our only option."

"I understand." Sindel said, giving her friend a smile. "So, where is Shao Kahn's daughter now?"

"She is resting." Baraka said. "The trip was quite brutal for her, and she nearly died from thirst as we were crossing through that damned desert."

"Well, you are all certainly welcome to stay here." Kami said, finally speaking after all that. "Any friends of Sindel's are friends of mine."

Sheeva stood and bowed to the guardian of Earth. "Thank you, green man. We are in your debt."

"Please, call me Kami." Kami told the Shokan.

"Okay, Kami." Sheeva said, and then turned to Sindel. "So, where is Kitana? I imagine she has grown strong after all this time."

"Ah, yes. Kitana is off right now participating in a tournament." Sindel said.

"Tournament?" Goro asked. "Like Mortal Kombat?"

Sindel shook her head. "No, no. Nothing like that barbaric tournament, but a fair martial arts tournament. It is where the mightiest warriors on Earth gather to fight, the prize being fortune and glory. Kitana entered to see if her training paid off."

"Training?" Baraka said, puzzled.

Sindel nodded. "In this realm, there is an energy called ki. It is the force which gives all beings in this universe their strength. If trained in the art of ki, once becomes quite powerful."

"How powerful?" Goro asked.

"Very powerful." Sindel said. "Kami spent the last nineteen years teaching it to us, and now we are both strong enough to kill Shao Kahn with ease."

"Incredible." Goro said, and turned to Kami. "You must teach us how to control this power."

Kami gave the Shokan a smile. "I don't see why not. I have a million lifetimes left to spare."

"May we see this tournament?" Sheeva asked. "I would very much like to see how strong the little princess has grown since I last saw her."

"Of course." Sindel nodded, and turned to Mr. Popo. "Popo, would you please fetch the magic carpet? Our friends do not know yet how to fly."

"Fly?" Baraka said, but was ignored.

"Of course, ma'am." Popo said, nodding.

Sheeva looked back at Sindel with a incredulous expression. "Magic carpet?"

Sindel laughed. "You're going to love this world, Sheeva. I promise."

* * *

Ta-da. More Mortal Kombat characters, but that's all that we're gonna see for a very long time. In the next chapter, the tournament will continue. Now, power levels.

**Sheeva**: 100

**Goro**: 110

**Baraka**: 85


	6. Royal Pains

**Chapter 6: Royal Pains**

Sindel laughed as she flied alongside the magic carpet, which had Sheeva, Goro, and Baraka all squeezed on it fighting to stay on. Goro's immense size took up most of the carpet, forcing Sheeva to sit on her comrade's lap while Baraka, much to his chagrin, was sitting on Goro's shoulders. Goro glared at Sindel as she flew gracefully alongside them.

"Laugh it up, empress." Goro sneered. "Once we learn how to control this mystical force of yours we will have no need for this ridiculous flanel rug."

Sindel just smiled. "I welcome it, Goro. It will be nice to have new sparring partners."

Sheeva and Goro both smiled in excitement. As warriors, they were eager to learn anything that would raise their strength. Baraka, however, seemed to be in thought.

"Empress, your friend. This Kami? Would he be willing to share his teachings with Mileena as well?" The Tarkatan asked.

Sindel shrugged. "I suppose. You truly care for this girl, don't you."

"I love her like a daughter, empress." Baraka stated. "After all she endured with Shao Kahn, she needs someway to defend herself."

Sindel smiled warmly at the normally vicious Tarkatan's soft side. "Well, assuming she doesn't have any prior fighting experience, it may take a long while for her to master Kami's teachings."

"Mileena is well capable of combat." Baraka stated proudly. "Taught her myself. She prefers the dancing sai blades."

Sindel blinked. "The weapons of an assassin? Curious choice, but it is acceptable."

Not to long after they left, the Outworlders arrived at the World Martial Arts Tournament, and Sindel found that the crowd she had left behind when she left were no longer crowding the streets outside the arena, and were now all crammed in. That meant that the finalists had been chosen, and the first match was already underway!

"It seems the finalists have been chosen." Sindel stated, observing the arena below. "There is no doubt Kitana and her friends have made it to the finals."

"What friends?" Sheeva asked, confused. Sindel smiled as she thought of that ragtag group of warriors. She was impressed with the potential in each of them. She had spoken to Kami about them, and they both agreed that they deserved Kami's tutelage in the case of another threat like King Piccolo arising.

"A special group of warriors who also entered the tournament." Sindel explained. "They are the strongest I've seen in this realm, other than Kami. They are a rather unique group, similar to this one. There is a short bald man, a long-haired young man with a scarred face, a three eyed boy, a little boy with pale white skin, and a boy with a monkey tail. So far, he is the strongest of the group. Not as strong as Kitana of course."

"Hm." Sheeva said. "Quite the motley crew, I see. Did they all make it into the finals."

Sindel frowned, and shook her head. "The white skinned boy was defeated by a man with a metal face. The man was completely dishonorable. He cared nothing for the thrill and honor of battle, just revenge against the group."

"How vile." Goro said in disgust. "Where is this human? I will show him what a real warrior is!"

"Peace, Goro." Sindel said with a chuckle. "Despite his small victory, he is nowhere near the others' power. Even if he has made it into the finals, he has little chance of success."

"Good. Nothing makes a Shokan's skin crawl than a warrior without honor." Sheeva hissed.

Sindel nodded, and then swooped down to the top of the building overlooking the arena. Her three companions followed close behind, and they landed on top. Noticed only by a few, the group made themselves comfortable, and watched as the first match began. To Sindel's surprise, the three eyed warrior, Tien, had gotten into the ring with that dishonorable warrior, Tao. At the sight of the man, Sindel glared.

"That's him."

"Ghastly looking fellow isn't he." Baraka hissed, and Sindel chuckled at the irony of the Tarkatan's statement.

* * *

As she waited for her imminent match against Krillin, Kitana watched as the mysterious girl did workouts in preparation for her match with Goku. The strange fast masked fighter just sat snoring loudly in the corner. How the man was even able to make it into the finals, Kitana didn't know. However, her intention was focused more on the female fighter nearby. She was curious as to who this girl was and how exactly she knew Goku.

As if sensing the Edenian Princess' stares, the girl turned and glared. "What are _you_ looking at, sister?"

"A fighter with an impressive power level." Kitana smirked. "Not as strong as me of course."

"Hmph. We'll see. I'll take you down right after I pound Goku senseless." The girl said Goku's name with a hint of venom, causing Kitana to frown.

"What've you got against Goku? He seems like a good man." Kitana said, not appreciating the glare the girl was giving her.

"Shows what you know. The dope couldn't even remember my name!" The girl's punches and kicks seemed to grow stronger as her anger evidently rose.

Kitana still frowned. "He said he didn't recognize you. You could have just told him who you were!"

The girl scoffed. "He knows! He's just being a conceited jerk! I bet he doesn't even care about his promise anymore!"

Kitana just blinked in confusion. "What promise?"

"None of your damn business, sister!" The girl screeched, causing Kitana to wince slightly and glare.

"Whatever. But how can you be so sure he actually knows? I've only known Goku for a day and he seems like the sort of person who'd..." Kitana cleared her throat, rubbing the back of her head. "Well, he's seems like the forgetful type."

Suddenly, the girl looked at Kitana with an enraged snarl that caused Kitana to rear her head back in surprise. "You... skank!"

"Excuse me?" Kitana said, glaring back at the enraged girl.

"I know exactly what's going on!" The girl said, marching up to Kitana, who was at least a foot taller than her, but the girl didn't seem at all intimidated.

Kitana just looked lost. "Well then explain it to me, because..."

"You just want Goku to yourself!" The girl screamed. "Well you know what? Back off! Goku's mine!"

Kitana just glared at the girl incredulously. "Are you crazy? I'm not interested in Goku! I've only known him for..."

"Don't lie!" The girl interrupted. "Why else would you dress like that?! You must be some kind of... temptress!"

Kitana glared at the girl. "I suggest you back away."

"Excuse me?"

"I said. Back. Away." Kitana said in a commanding tone.

The girl clearly wasn't moved, and just glared. "You can't tell me what to do! I happen to be the daughter of-AGH!"

The girl was thrown back by a superpowered kick from Kitana, sending her flying into a wall. Kitana gave a cocky smirk as the girl pulled herself from the wall, giving Kitana an enraged snarl. "Oh, so that's how you want it? Fine! I'll pound you into the dirt!"

Kitana stood perfectly still as the enraged young woman rushed at her and tried to deliver a roundhouse kick, but Kitana just casually lifted her arm up and blocked the kick. The girl tried to rectify her mistake by throwing a punch towards Kitana's right eye, but Kitana lifted her other forearm and blocked that as well. "You're letting your emotions get the better of you. If you don't control you'll anger, you won't have any chance of defeating me or Goku."

"My emotions are just fine! I can easily defeat both you and Goku with my hands tied behind my back!" Snarling, the girl swung her other fist towards Kitana's face, but Kitana grabbed the fist and held it tightly in her grip. The girl let out a pained yell when Kitana twisted her arm behind her back, and tried to swing a right hook to get Kitana to let go, but Kitana grabbed her arm as well.

The girl kicked and struggled to break free from Kitana's grip, but the Edenian Princess' strength greatly outclassed her own. Kitana gave a smirk. "You can't sense energy, can you. Otherwise you would have been able to tell you couldn't beat me."

Glaring at Kitana in fury, the girl struggled even harder, making Kitana frown and tighten her grip. "Calm down! You have to control your anger, otherwise it will hinder your progress and you'll have no chance of winning the tournament! You want to be a warrior, then you must attain better self-control."

Kitana blinked in surprise when the woman stopped struggling, and lowered her head in frustration. "I only entered this stupid tournament so I could impress Goku. I spent the last seven years training so I could meet him here again, and he doesn't even remember me!"

Kitana suddenly felt a pang of pity for this girl, and slowly loosened her grip until she let the girl go. The girl moved away from Kitana stretching and regaining the feel in her arms, all the while giving the Edenian a glare.

Kitana sighed. "Look, I don't want to make enemies with someone I barely just met. If we end up fighting each other in the tournament, I want it to be on civil terms. Not because of a grudge."

The girl's face suddenly softened, and she gave Kitana a smile. "I'm sorry. You were right. Sometimes I let my anger get the best of me. I get my stubbornness from my mother."

Kitana was a little surprised out how quickly this girl went from furious to calm, but nonetheless smiled back. "I understand. I inherit some traits from my mother as well, not all of them beneficial."

The girl gave a light laugh. "You're alright. I'm Chi-Chi, by the way. Daughter of the Ox-King and heir of the royal Ox-family."

"Kitana." Kitana introduced herself, bowing respectfully. Her mother always wanted her to remember her manners. "Daughter of Queen Sindel and King Jerrod and princess and warrior of Edenia."

Upon hearing this, Chi-Chi's face lit up. "Sindel? As in _the_ Sindel? The woman who defeated King Piccolo? _You're_ her daughter?"

Kitana chuckled. "Yes, that's her. I didn't realize she'd become such a celebrity. She saves the world once and everyone loves her now."

"Wow." Chi-Chi said. "So she must have taught you some stuff. If so, you must be really strong. Maybe _you_ can beat Goku."

Kitana smiled, realizing that it was a possibility, but had to wait and see. She sat back down against the wall, settling down after wasting a little unnecessary strength in her little fued with Chi-Chi. Chi-Chi sat down next to her.

Kitana looked at her new friend. "So, how do you know Goku?"

Chi-Chi smiled as she looked back at the memories of her childhood. "Well, we were just kids at the time. Goku was helping his friend Bulma find the Dragon Balls..."

* * *

Short chapter, yes. But the action will pick up in the next chapter, showing the Tien/Tao fight. I'm not gonna show the power levels, since they're the same as before. I don't know about all of you, but I'm getting more and more into this story. I have many plans for future events. Let's just hope I write them well.


	7. The Student Beats the Master

**Chapter 7: The Student Beats the Master**

Tien and Tao stood in fighting stances, staring each other down. Neither moved a muscle, both looking at each other with different expressions. Tien's was that of concentration, Tao's was that of confidence. Sindel and her crew watched from above with interest.

"Interesting." Sheeva said. "Rather than rush into battle, they prefer to wait out and percieve the other's movement. I wonder who it is all that will strike first?"

"Given the circumstances, I am guessing it will be the metal man." Goro said.

Below, in the stands, Bulma, Roshi, Oolong, Puar, and a now blonde Launch watched curiously. Oolong whispered to his friends. "Doesn't a fight require movement?"

Launch watched as her crush stared down the despicable assassin with growing impatience. "They're like statues."

Goku, Krillin, and Yamcha watched from nearby, standing near the waiting area.

"It's been ten minutes!" Yamcha said, frowning. "Tien can't move!"

"It's Tao who can't move." Goku corrected, earning confused glances from the other former Turtle School students. The voice of the announcer soon came up, catching everyone's attention.

"Well folks, this match may have just started, but we're already witnessing a stalemate. Neither participant has moved a muscle since this match began."

Tao, meanwhile, was glaring at Tien in both fascination and frustration. _This is remarkable! The boy has a perfect defense! I can't find a vulnerable spot on his entire body!_

Tien, as if sensing Tao's inner statement, made a smirk that caused Tao to sneer at. _My brother was a little to thorough with your training. This is going to be harder than I thought..._

Suddenly, the announcer yelled at the two in annoyance. "Will one of you please throw a punch before we all fall asleep?!"

"Impatient man." Sindel hissed from above. "His shouting will provide an unnecessary distraction to the fighters."

"Agreed." Sheeva said, nodding.

The two combatants continued to stare each other down, when Tien suddenly blinked as a telepathic signal entered his mind.

_Hello, Tien Shinhan. Can you hear me? I interrupt this boring excuse for a match to bring you this little bulletin. You cannot defeat my brother Tao because he's the one who taught you defensive strategy. A shame that all that knowledge was wasted on a loser like you._"

Tien's third eye looked away from Tao and into the stands, directly at Master Shen, who was smirking at Tien arrogantly. Images of his past were unwilling jammed into his head of his past training sessions with Tao. The assassin would brutally beat the triclops rather than teach, while Shen just watched from nearby with a sneer. He could hear Shen laughing in his head.

_You were no match for him then, so you can't possibly be a match for him n-_

Shen suddenly broke the exchange when out of nowhere, Sindel appeared in front of him, giving him a nasty glare. Everyone who was sitting around him all jumped back in surprise. Goku, Yamcha, and Krillin all blinked at her, and Shen didn't even have time to register her presence until she jabbed her hand knife-like into his Adam's apple. Shen gagged and gripped his throat in pain, falling to the ground and writhing about. Master Roshi, who was a few stands away, held in a laugh as he watched his old friend turned nemesis writhe around pathetically.

"Outside distractions are pitiful, even telepathically. This match will continue, but without your interference." Sindel said. She glanced out at the arena, giving Tien a smile. Seeing this, Tien returned the smile.

Tao broke his fighting stance and looked at his brother in shock. "S-Shen? How... You bitch! How dare you attack my-"

Tao was suddenly cut off when Tien sped up behind him and delivered an axe chop to Tao's back, causing the mercenary to stumble forward and land face first on the ground.

The crowd immediately burst into applause, and Goku gave his friend a smile while Yamcha and Krillin gawked in surprise. Sindel gave the triclops a smile, and slowly floated back up to her friends. The Shokan and the Tarkatan looked at her and Tien in shock and amazement. That was the first time they saw the benefits of ki in action.

"Incredible!" Goro said. "I didn't even realize you had left until I saw you down there! Was that speed because of this... ki?"

Sindel nodded. "Yes."

"Why did you incapacitate that human?" Baraka asked as he looked at Shen, who was slowly pulling himself up, gripping his throat.

"He was attempting to hinder young Tien through telepathy. You know, communication through thought?"

"How did you know this?" Sheeva asked, eyes narrowed.

"When you've mastered ki as I have, you can easily sense these sort of things." Sindel said. "The old man probably didn't believe there was someone here strong enough to detect his message, and didn't bother trying to hide his thoughts."

Back on the arena, Tao got up and glared at Tien with anger. "That was a lucky shot! If your friend hadn't distracted me, I would've defended myself."

"Wow now this is more like it!" The announcer shouted. "The moment both contestants move, Tien Shinhan delivers the first successful blow!"

Tao's teeth grit when he heard the announcer say this, and gave Tien a nasty smirk. "Well done, Tien. You've improved a little. No longer tripping on your own feet. Hahaha..."

Tien just stared blankly at the mercenary, and Tao flipped his braid over his shoulder so that it wasn't in his face. "Seeing as how you've grown up, I no longer have to hold back. Prepare for pain!"

With a yell, Tao jumped at Tien and attempted to deliver a roundhouse kick to his head, but grunted in pain when his leg instead struck Tien's forearm. With a flick of his wrist, Tien sent Tao away from him, and Tao gave a yelp of pain when he landed head first onto the hard ground. The crowd again went loud with awe, and Shen's mouth fell open in shock.

"Tao!" He yelled.

The Z Fighters' friends cheered loudly in the stands, especially Launch, whose cheers could be heard by everyone in the arena. Sindel and the Outworlders all smiled at Tien's successful move. There was no doubt that the match was now his.

Tao immediately got up, and was fuming at the triclops, who just looked back indifferently. Tao rushed at him again, but before he could make contact, Tien spoke. "Wait a minute. There's something I need to say."

Tao immediately stopped, looking at his old student in confusion. Goku, Yamcha, and Krillin all blinked, and above the Outworlders looked at each other confused.

"What in the realms is he doing?" Goro said. "Why does he not fight?"

Sindel didn't respond, and instead gave a knowing smile.

Tao glared at Tien. "It's to late to beg for mercy, weakling!"

But Tien didn't beg, in fact, he did the exact opposite.

"I forgive what you did to Chiaotzu. Stop this madness."

Tao's head reared back in surprise, and he started to chuckle. "You fool. Don't talk as if you're in control of this situation. You're just scared!"

Tien chose that moment to faze out of sight, causing Tao to blink in surprise. He couldn't see Tien, but he could still hear him. "You're mistaken. I've grown much stronger than you realize."

Tao jumped when he heard Tien's voice behind him and jumped back to face him. "Don't talk behind my back, coward! You think you're stronger than me? I'll enjoy taking you down, Tien!"

"Sir, please." Tien said, looking down in shame. "I didn't ask for any of this. I take little pleasure in fighting you."

"Hm?" Tao said, and started laughing again, which would normally irk someone who was facing him. But not Tien. "Very funny, Tien. Hilarious! You're arrogance has just sealed your fate!"

"Are all warriors in this realm as idiotic as this man?" Sheeva whispered to Sindel.

Sindel sighed. "Arrogance and power are a blinding force in this realm, as I have learned. It is quite sad, really."

At her words, Goro paled and looked away, realizing that Sindel's words mirrored his personality in a way. However, his attention was drawn back to the match when he heard Tao yell out in rage and saw him lunging at Tien.

Tao was about to deliver a fast punch at Tien, but Tien easily avoided each of his strikes. Tao unleashed a flurry of punches and kicks that Tien just casually stepped away from. He avoided every one of Tao's strikes, but he didn't even try to counter. He really didn't want to fight Tao.

From the stands, Bulma watched with wide eyes. "They're moving... so fast! I can't tell what's going on!"

"Tien's speed is incredible!" Roshi said, earning nods of approval from the others.

Tien's three friends and fellow contestants watched from nearby with idled fascination.

"Wow. That's fast!" Yamcha said dumbly.

"I'll say." Krillin said. "Tien is fantastic! He's avoiding every move that Tao throws at him."

"He makes it look easy." Goku said.

After failing to actually strike Tien, Tao decided to put all his concentration in one attack. Holding three of his fingers out, Tao tried to drive them forward and jab out all three of Tien's eyes, but Tien lifted his hand and grabbed Tao's wrist, stopping the attack dead in its tracks.

"NO!" Shen exclaimed from the stands.

"Oh, yes." Sindel said, smiling, having heard Shen's outburst.

Tao fought to free himself from Tien's hold, but Tien was much stronger. The triclops tightened his grip on Tao's wrist, and the mercenary fell to his knees in pain.

"Try to understand." Tien said. "I say these words out of concern, not disrespect. You and your brother taught me how to fight. I am grateful for your battles. I do not wish to see you lose in disgrace. Leave the ring now!"

Tao growled in rage. "I'll rip your eyes out!"

He attempted to pierce Tien's eyes with his other hand, but Tien quickly twisted Tao's arm backwards and behind his back. Tao yelped out in pain, wriggling around, trying to free himself to no avail.

"Fine. We'll do this the hard way." Tien growled. He started pushing Tao forward. "Move!"

The audience watched in confusion as Tien escorted Tao slowly to the edge of the ring. Tao desperately fought to break free, but Tien's grip tightened, squeezing the life out of Tao's wrist.

"This is a surprise!" The announcer exclaimed. "Tien Shinhan is attempting to escort his opponent out of the ring!"

"What?" Krillin said.

"That's new." Yamcha said.

Above, the Outworlders held in their laughs.

"Smart boy." Sheeva said. "He has percieved his opponent so unworthy of battle, he is attempting to forcefully have him disqualified."

"Yes, he is smart." Sindel said. "Probably the smartest of everyone here."

"I wonder why he has three eyes, though." Baraka asked. "None of the other humans here seem to have them."

"This world is a strange place, Baraka." Sindel explained. "A human with three eyes is surprisingly not the strangest thing you will see here."

Meanwhile, Tien and Tao had finally reached the edge, and Tao was kicking to stay in the ring. Suddenly remembering his hidden weaponry, Tao flicked his wrist, and Tien blinked in surprise when Tao's cybernetic hand suddenly detached itself from Tao's wrist. Now free from Tien's hold, Tao jumped over the triclops and landed behind him, getting into a battle stance. Tien immediately turned around to face the mercenary.

Flicking his wrist again, Tao smirked when a long, sharp knife protruded from the mechanical stump. Tien failed to react in time as Tao slashed the blade forward, and left a huge gash across Tien's chest. The entire audience gasped, and Tien grunted in pain as blood seeped from the wound.

"Possession of a knife by Mercenary Tao!" The announcer shouted. "Tournament rules prohibit the use of weapons in the ring! Tao is disqualified! The winner by default is Tien Shinhan!"

Tao snarled and faced the announcer. "Will you be quiet!? I don't care about your match!"

Tao turned his sadistic gaze back to Tien, and started cackling madly. "As long as I can kill Tien Shinhan!"

Shen gave his brother a smile, and lifted his hand up in the air in support. "Yes! Get your revenge! That's what you came here for Tao! Annihilate all of Turtle hermit's students! They don't deserve to live!"

Tao smiled at his brother in approval, and continued to laugh at Tien, who was gripping his wound in pain. Shaking with rage, Tien looked up at Tao in fury. He ripped off his yellow shirt, and glared at Tao in anger.

"What respect I had for you has now turned to pity! You have no honor!"

Tao snarled at Tien's statement. "You're mistaken! I have plenty of honor. The honor of killing you!"

Tien said nothing, and just continued seething with rage. Percieving Tien's silence as fear, Tao laughed. "That's it! Keep your silence! My blade will finish this conversation."

"No. _I_ will."

Tao blinked at the voice, and looked around to find its source, and suddenly yelped when something wrapped around his body. Tien blinked in surprise. Sindel had appeared behind Tao, and to his and the audience's shock, her hair had come to life and was now prehensile. Wrapping around Tao's waste, Sindel's hair held him tightly. From the stands, Shen's look of triumph was replaced by a look of shock.

"What-?" Tao said, looking around and meeting Sindel's gaze. He immediately started thrashing in fury. "Put me down, you wench! This isn't your fight!"

"And it's no longer yours." Sindel retorted. "The boy is right. You have no honor. This match is already done. If you are to stubborn to realize that, I will ensure that you do not waste more of anyone's time."

Tao snarled in fury and attempted to cut at Sindel's hair with his blade, but her hair seemed indestructible. Smirking, Sindel jerked her head left and her hair swung Tao hard against the ground, smashing him deep into the arena's floor. Tao grunted in pain, but Sindel didn't let him go and started repeatedly slamming him into the ground. Eventually, his blade broke off from one of the impacts, and he started to grow dizzy and pained.

Tien watched the display in amusement, and his friends were openly laughing. The audience was equally amused, except for Shen, who just stared in shock as the Edenian Queen thrashed his brother around like a ragdoll. The Outworlders laughed loudly, Baraka gripping his stomach as he chortled with laughter. Sheeva was clapping all four of her hands.

After slamming him for the umpteenth time, Sindel held Tao in front of her so they were facing each other. "Now, you truly have no honor."

Sindel slammed Tao into the ground a final time, and her hair let him go and shrunk back to its normal length. Tao was to stunned to fight or threaten any longer, more wounded physically than he had ever been before. He was now whimpering with pain.

Tien looked down at Tao, and then looked back at Sindel with a frown. "I didn't need your help."

Sindel shrugged. "I know. But the match was already over when he broke the rules. You didn't have to waste anymore time with him."

Tien grunted, but nonetheless nodded in appreciation. The crowd, who were silent for a few moments, immediately burst into thunderous applause. The announcer, after staring at Tao in shock, finally spoke up. Sindel gave Tien one last smile, before dissapearing and appearing next to her Outworld friends, who all smiled at her.

"Well done, empress." Goro said, smiling.

Sindel shook her head. "I only disposed of a dishonorable warrior. Tien is the true winner here."

"It's alright folks! You can breath again!" The announcer said. "What a wild opening! Just the kind of intensity you can expect, right here at the World Martial Arts Tournament! Tien Shinhan wins the match and will compete in the semi-finals!"

Goku, Krillin, and Yamcha yelled at their friend in congragulations, and as he clapped for his friend, Goku glanced up at Sindel. Meeting his gaze, Sindel gave Goku a smile and a nod. In the stands, Shen looked in utter shock at his fallen brother. Meeting his old teacher's gaze, Tien glared, and marched over to Tao's prone form. Picking up the fallen mercenary, Tien marched over to Shen. Seeing what he was doing, the crowd grew silent.

Coming up to Shen, Tien set Tao down at his feet. Shen backed away in slight fear and shock, glaring up at Tien.

"He'll live." Tien said stoically. "Please, take him home, and never show yourselves around me again."

Shen's face screwed up into a furious snarl. "You traitor! You will not die peacefully! I assure you of that!"

Tien turned away as Shen picked Tao up and levitated off the ground and flew away from the stands. Roshi watched his rival flee with a glare, and yelled back.

"It is you who who will not die peacefully, Crane!"

Tien walked over to the sidelines, where his friends greated him.

"You were great, Tien!" Goku said, but Tien just walked past him.

"Thanks."

"Man, if Sindel hadn't stepped in, Tao would be dead!" Krillin said, but stopped when a hand rested on his shoulder.

"That's enough." The voice of Sindel said, and Krillin looked back at her and jerked away, surprised that she was actually speaking to him. Goku and Yamcha stepped back in surprise. They didn't even notice that she was there.

Sindel watched as Tien left and entered the waiting area. "He needs to be left alone. He has endured enough, and I can still sense his turmoil."

The three warriors watched as Tien left, and then decided the Edenian Queen was right. Once Tien was gone, Goku looked at Sindel.

"You were awesome, too, ma'am! I didn't even see you when you sped out there to stop Tao, so you must be really fast!" Goku was speaking so fast, and Sindel smirked in amusement. "So is it true you really stopped King Piccolo? Where were you trained? Are you really strong? Can I fight you? That would be awesome! How come you didn't enter? Is Kitana really..."

His voice stopped when Sindel used her fingers to clamp his lips shut. The spiky-haired fighter looked at her in confusion, and Krillin and Yamcha snickered at him.

"Peace, child." Sindel said, releasing Goku. "Perhaps when this tournament is over, and you have grown stronger, perhaps we will fight."

"Stronger?" Goku said. "You don't think I could take you on?"

"Ha, you honestly think you can defeat the empress?"

The group turned and saw the Outworlders had joined them. Yamcha and Krillin all yelled at three inhuman beings and backed away fast, but Sindel lifted her hand up in assurance.

"Relax." She said. "These are my friends. Sheeva, Goro, and Baraka. They are noble warriors, like yourselves."

Krillin and Yamcha glanced at each other, unsure, but Goku just smiled and bowed. "Pleased to meet you."

Sheeva bowed back. "You as well. It is nice to meet someone here who is so respectful."

"Indeed." Goro said. "But why do you have a tail?"

Goku blinked and looked at his tail. He shrugged. "I dunno. I've always had it."

"Well, it has caused Kami some degree of confusion." Sindel said. "Even he is uncertain of it's origin."

"Kami? Who's Kami?" Yamcha asked.

"He's the guardian of this world." Sindel said. "And I am his prodigy."

"So then he's stronger than you?" Goku asked.

Sindel shook her head. "No. Kami is old and has not participated in a fight in some time. But he is a brilliant teacher, and his teachings have made me quite powerful."

"I'll say." Krillin said. "Your power is huge!"

"So, I have to ask, just what _are_ you doing here?" Yamcha asked the Edenian.

"Supporting my daughter." Sindel said. "I believe you've already met Kitana."

The three smiled at the mention of the princess.

"Yeah, she's cool, and she seems pretty strong." Goku said, jumping excitedly. "Can't wait to fight her!"

Sindel chuckled. "Now that is the one fight in this tournament where the outcome is cloudy. The two of you are about as equal as ever."

"Ah, I'm sure Goku can win." Yamcha said. "He's fought lots of enemies. I'm sure he can handle just one girl."

"Don't underestimate my daughter, young man." Sindel said, frowning. "She's stronger than she appears."

"Speaking of girls, now it's my turn!" Goku said, excitedly, and he immediately started warming up. "I can't wait. This is gonna be some match. I better stretch!"

"I'd be excited, too, if I were fighting a pretty girl." Krillin grumbled, still a bit envious of his friend.

Sindel smirked. "Ah, yes. The mystery opponent who screamed at you. She seemed quite upset with you."

Goku shrugged. "Still wonder why..."

* * *

"He promised you what?"

Kitana looked at Chi-Chi with a shocked expression. Chi-Chi blinked at the Edenian Princess' outburst. "He promised to marry me. After we put that fire out he made a promise, and I've been training to meet him since."

"But you were just kids! He probably didn't even understand the concept of marriage at the time." Kitana said.

Chi-Chi blinked. "B-but... he promised..."

"That doesn't mean he understood what he was getting into." Kitana explained. "Given his personality, he was probably just coming up with an excuse to appease you."

Chi-Chi was shocked at her words, and put it into consideration. "I... I never thought of that... So he really doesn't remember our promise. If there ever was one."

Kitana saw how upset Chi-Chi was, and sighed, shaking her head. "Look, that doesn't mean there's not a chance for the two of you. Maybe if you approached the match professionally and actually told him who were were, maybe he'd see you in a different light."

"You think so?" Chi-Chi said, hopefully.

"It's just a suggestion. But it's worth a shot." Kitana said.

"Will you two pipe down!" The girls looked over to see the fat masked man was awake and glaring at them. "How's a guy supposed to sleep with you two banshees screaching like that?"

"Mind your own beeswax, bub." Chi-Chi hissed, and the man grumbled and turned away from them. Suddenly, there was the sound of applause, evidence that the match was over. Kitana watched as Tien entered. Her eyes widened when she saw the scar on his chest.

"Tien! Your chest! What happened?" Kitana said, jumping up.

"I won." Tien said simply, and sat down against the wall.

"So the match is over, then." Chi-Chi said. "Guess that means it's my turn."

Chi-Chi stood up, and bowed down to the two warriors and started making her way outside.

"Chi-Chi!" Kitana said, making the Ox-Princess turn to look at her. "Remember what I said."

Chi-Chi nodded, and left to fight Son Goku.

* * *

A/N: Next chapter, Goku and Chi-Chi fight, but Chi-Chi is a little less bitchy.

**Power Levels**:

-Tao: 510


	8. The Not-So-Anonymous Proposal

**Chapter 8: The Not-So-Anonymous Proposal**

Kitana swiftly avoided a roundhouse kick from Tien, then quickly lifted her forearm up to parry a chop from the three-eyed warrior. Tien glared, attempting a second punch aimed for Kitana's side, but she blocked that one as well. Giving Tien a smirk, Kitana jumped up when Tien attempted to kick her legs out from under her. Then, Kitana kicked him right in the arse, and Tien jumped and stumbled forward.

Tien turned to face Kitana again, glaring when she gave him a giggle, and dashed forward to deliver another punch, but Kitana expertly blocked this one as well. Tien attempted a number of rapid punches and kicks, but the Edenian Princess' superb reflexes outmatched his own, much to the former assassin's frustration. Eventually, Kitana caught one of his fists and held it tight, and Tien threw his other one at her, and grunted when she siezed that one too.

"You're good." Kitana said, smoothly. "I look forward to beating you in the arena."

Tien quickly vanished, and Kitana blinked, but then smirked, lifting her arm up to block a chop aimed for her neck.

"Don't underestimate me." Tien growled.

"Me? Underestimate?" Kitana said. "That's not what I do. I actually bother to perceive my opponent's capabilities before mindlessly throwing myself into battle. Unlike that foolish assassin you bested."

Tien smirked. "Technically, that was your mother. The fight was over when he drew that blade. Sindel just got rid of him for me."

Kitana chuckled. "Yes. My honorable mother."

"And my equally honorable daughter."

Kitana smiled, turning to face Sindel, who was leaning against the wall, with her arms crossed. Tien blinked, not even noticing the Edenian Queen's entrance. Kitana hugged her mother, and Sindel smiled as she hugged her back. Tien had then noticed the three figures that were with her, and he nearly jumped when he saw them. Two four-armed beasts, and a man with goblin-like ears, reptilian eyes, and razor sharp teeth. They were easily the most bizarre creatures Tien had every laid eyes on.

"I'm glad you came, mother." Kitana said, but then she to noticed the queen's odd company. "Er... who's this?"

Sindel smiled. "These are my old friends. I knew them before we came to Earth."

Sheeva stepped forward, and bowed to Kitana. "Princess. It is good to see you've matured so much. I am Sheeva, your mother's former bodyguard."

Goro stepped forward, bowing as well. "And I am Goro, mightiest of the Shokan warriors."

"And I, Baraka." The Tarkatan hissed. "Former general of the Tarkatan Armies."

Kitana had heard stories of Sindel's previous life under Shao Kahn, and was amazed when she heard about all the races that inhabited it. She was even more amazed to actually be seeing some in person.

"It's a pleasure to meet you all." Kitana said, smiling brightly. "I hope you've all enjoyed the first few matches."

"The first was going well. Until that fool drew that weapon, and ruined the match for everyone." Sindel said distastefully, but then smiled over at Tien. "But you fought well in spite of it all, Tien Shinhan. Well done."

Tien bowed respectfully to Sindel. "Thank you, mistress."

Sindel chuckled. "No need to be so formal. A queen I once was, but no more, so titles are not necessary."

"A queen?" Tien said, surprised. "I didn't know you were a queen." He glanced at Kitana. "So does that mean that you're-"

"A princess?" Kitana interrupted, and shook her head. "No. At one time, I probably was. But I was just a baby when my mother abandoned her throne."

"Where was this throne?" Tien inquired. Kitana glanced at her mother, whose face had gone deadly serious. Sheeva, Goro, and Baraka all lowered their heads, sensing Sindel's reluctance to go on with the subject.

"Another time maybe. The current match is almost over. At least I hope it is."

"Ah yes. That match between Goku and Chi-Chi." Kitana said, smirking. "How is that match going anyhow?"

"It was going well. The young human female had some richous fury in her, but midway through the match the two started... talking." Goro said distastefully.

"Talking?" Tien said, eyebrow raised in confusion. "About what?"

"Well..."

Suddenly, Chi-Chi stormed into the room, and the group all stepped back when they saw the enraged look on her face. She was glaring intently at Kitana, who stepped back uneasily as Chi-Chi approached her. Soon, the Ox-Princess was up close to the Edenian, glaring angrily.

"Thank you so much for your stupid advice!" She yelled, and stormed away. She didn't even seem to notice the bizarre enterouge that was in the room. Everyone watched as she left and entered the women's restroom (yes, there are restrooms in the waiting area), slamming and locking the door behind her.

After a few moments of silence, Baraka spoke what everyone was thinking. "What the bloody Netherrealm was that about?"

It was then that Krillin, Yamcha, and Goku entered, Krillin cracking up while Goku looked absolutely puzzled. Yamcha, on the other hand, seemed genuinely upset.

"Tien..." Krillin said in between laughs. "You just missed the funniest damn thing. Goku just-WHAT THE?!"

Krillin and Yamcha both screamed and backed into the walls when they saw the Shokan and Tarkatans in the room. Goku just blinked in surprise, cocking his head in wonder.

Tien just rolled his eyes. "Relax! They're friends of Kitana."

The two scared Turtle students just blinked in shock.

"F-friends?!" Yamcha stuttered. "They have four arms! And teeth! Big jagged teeth!"

The Shokan glared at the comment, while Baraka growled. Sindel stepped forward, putting her hand up. "I speak in Tien's defense. My friends will not bring any harm to you."

"Yet." Baraka mumbled, hissing when Sheeva slammed him upside the head.

The three warriors were no longer paying attention to the three Outworlders. Instead, they were gazing at Sindel in awe. Well, Krillin and Yamcha were more likely starring at her enormous rack.

Goku immediately gave his goofy grin, and bombarded Sindel with questions. "Oh my god! It's you! You're Sindel! Can I fight you? I heard you beat King Piccolo, so you must be really strong. Fighting is so awesome, especially when I'm facing an opponent stronger than me. Chi-Chi was good, but her ki was much lower than mine, but yours is huge! So can we fight, huh can we? Plea-"

Sindel reached forward and clamped Goku's lips shut with her fingers. He blinked in surprise, and then frowned at Sindel. His friends all snickered at him, as did Kitana.

"Thank you, empress." Goro muttered. "I was nearly ready to rip the boy's head off."

"Yeah, sorry about that." Krillin said, rubbing his neck. "Goku likes fighting."

Sindel released Goku's lips, and smiled. "It is a thrilling experience. I would know. I've been doing it for a thousand years."

Goku gave her a smile too. "So you're really that old? You're older than my old sensei! And you don't look a day over... er... Bulma's age!"

Sindel smirked at Goku in amusement, as did almost everyone else in the room, except the fat masked mat snoring in the corner. Eventually, Tien broke the silence.

"So, Krillin, you were saying?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah!" Krillin said, and started laughing again. "Goku was fighting that Chi-Chi girl, and halfway through the match she brought up this crazy story that Goku had promised to marry her when they were kids. But Goku had no clue what marry was, so when Yamcha told him that it was when two people fall in love and live with each other."

Yamcha cut in, looking a little livid. "But then Goku said that he and Bulma had lived with each other multiple times, and they weren't married. Then Chi-Chi just exploded, and started accusing Goku of being a cheater. She was so pissed she forfeited the match, and Goku won by default."

Goku looked a little guilty. "She was really mad. I didn't mean to make her so upset."

"Well, you told her you and this... Bulma person weren't really married, right?" Kitana said.

Goku blinked. "Should I have?"

"Oh, Goku." Kitana muttered, shaking her head.

"But it gets better." Krillin said, laughing. "After Chi-Chi stormed off, Goku walked up to Bulma in the stands and asked her to marry him!"

Everyone all gawked at Goku, who just looked around, confused at all the stares. "What?"

"You asked Bulma to marry you?" Tien said, shocked. "W-what did she say?"

"Nothing." Goku said, shrugging. "She just fainted."

"Better than hearing her say yes." Yamcha muttered, crossing his arms and pouting.

Kitana stared at the door to the bathroom that Chi-Chi was currently sulking in, her stomach clenching with guilt. So much for her advice. Now Chi-Chi was probably heartbroken. She turned to the snickering bald monk.

"Krillin, maybe you should talk to her."

Krillin stopped laughing, and looked at the Edenian in shock. "Say what? She'll freak!"

"The girl is crying in a bathroom after getting her heart shattered into a million pieces." Kitana argued, frowning at the cowardly monk.

"But... why me?" Krillin said pitifully.

"If Goku goes, she'll just throw a fit. Yamcha is obviously involved with this Bulma, and Tien..." Kitana paused, looking at Tien, who blinked at her in puzzlement. "I just don't think Tien would be up for that. You're smart, so go talk to her!"

"But..."

"Now!" Kitana yelled, causing Krillin to jump. Grumbling, Krillin went back to the bathroom, knocking on the door.

The group averted their attention away from Krillin when the voice of the announcer was heard outside, announcing the next fight. Yamcha immediately brightened up from his sulking, punching his fist into the air.

"Alright! My turn!"

In the corner, the fat man had awakened, and got up, grumbling. "Let's just get this over with."

The group all looked at him in puzzlement, Goku finding something familiar about the man. The man passed them by, pausing slightly to look at the Outwordlers, before mumbling to himself about 'crazy freakshow fighters', and following Yamcha out onto the ring.

"Well, might as well see how the boy fares." Sindel said.

"Against a warrior with that enormous gut?" Sheeva said, snickering. "I think he'll fare well."

The group laughed, and walked outside to watch the match.

* * *

A/N: Lol. Yeah not how I originally planned it, but it works. I was going to have Goku be with Chi-Chi like in canon, since I like Gohan so much, but someone begged me not to pair him with Chi-Chi, so I thought I might as well change that one detail. How this will affect the storyline, we'll have to wait and see. No new power levels at the moment. Btw, sorry about deleting this story. It wasn't intentional, and I'm not gonna bore you all with the details. But I promise you, I'm not going to give up on it.


	9. The Princess and the Peasants

**Chapter 9: The Princess and the Peasants**

"Well, that was stupid." Goro grunted.

The obese masked man had rushed at Yamcha, but never even layed a finger on him, as a simple roundhouse kick from Yamcha sent the opponent flying out of the arena. The announcer said that Yamcha had one by a ring out. Needless to say, Yamcha was hoping for a bigger challenge.

Jumping off the stage, Yamcha walked up to the fallen warrior, offering a hand. "Hey, sorry about that, man. I didn't mean to hit so hard."

But the man just slapped Yamcha's hand away and gave him a glare. "Whatever." He grumbled, pulling himself up.

The two combatants walked over to the waiting area as the crowds all cheered for Yamcha, who smiled and glanced over at Bulma. But to his surprise, she wasn't cheering him like she usually. In fact, she seemed to be offering him something of a tight smile. Frowning, Yamcha followed his opponent into the waiting area, where his friends started congratulating him.

"That was great, Yamcha." Krillin said, patting his friend on the back. "A one-hit wonder!"

"More like a one-hit blunder." Baraka growled. "So far, none of the opponents you have faced have been anywhere near your caliber. I demand real action!"

"I second that." Sheeva said, crossing all four of her arms.

"Patience, my friends." Sindel said to the Outworlders. "Kitana is next."

"Finally." Kitana said, smiling. Immediately, she started stretching in preparation.

Tien gave a smile. "Looks like we finally get to see you in action, princess."

"Yeah. You get to fight Krillin!" Goku said, and then frowned, looking around. "Hey, where is he anyway?"

Kitana glanced back at the door leading to the waiting area. "I guess he's still talking with Chi-Chi. I hope he got through to her."

"Bah. Now's not the time for petty emotions. Now is the time for battle!" Goro said, eager to see Kitana in action, as was everyone else. The obese fighter, still wearing his mask, just scoffed at the group.

"Whatever." He said, walking away. "I'm done with you tournament types. The last time I sign up for this freakshow..."

Everyone watched as he dragged himself away from the proceedings, Sheeva snorting in amusement. "Poor fellow. Can't even handle a fair fight."

"Yeah, but I still can't help but feel that I know him from somewhere..." Goku started to say, but stopped when Krillin came out, with Chi-Chi clinging to his side. The two were laughing, much to the surprise of the others. Krillin looked at his friends.

"Hey guys. Sorry I'm late. We were just talking."

Chi-Chi giggled, while everyone else looked at each other in surprise. Sindel gave Kitana a smirk, and Kitana just rolled her eyes. Goku, being the naive young man he always has been, didn't seem to notice the almost to friendly interaction between Krillin and Chi-Chi.

"It's okay Krillin. Yamcha won. Now you get to fight Kitana!"

Krillin eyed Kitana, who eyed him back mischievously. "Well? After you."

Krillin glared at Kitana's challenge, and blinked when Chi-Chi whispered something into his ear. Chi-Chi glanced at Kitana a few times, and whatever she was saying to Krillin lightened his spirits, and he whispered back. Then, to everyone's surprise, she kissed him on the cheek. Now looking more determined than ever, Krillin walked towards the stage, but stopped by Kitana. He smirked, motioning his hand towards the stage.

"After you, ma'am."

Kitana just rolled her eyes, and walked up onto the arena, Krillin following closely.

"Finally! Let's see what the little princess can do." Sheeva said eagerly as she and the others crowded around to see what was happening.

"Hmph. Krillin's got this." Chi-Chi said arrogantly.

Sindel just gave Chi-Chi a smile, and returned her attention back to the stage. She blinked when she felt a finger tapping her shoulder, and glanced to see Goku.

"Sindel? How powerful is Kitana?"

Sindel smirked. "You're about to find out, child."

* * *

Krillin and Kitana stood on opposite ends of the stage, staring each other down. Krillin was giving Kitana his best glare, but Kitana just smirked at him cockily. Her braid and loincloth floated gently in the breeze. Eventually, the breeze stopped, and everything was still. The two combatants just stared at each other, silently daring the other to make the first move.

In the stands, Bulma frowned. "That Kitana girl sure is strange. She's just staring at Krillin."

"Or maybe Krillin's staring at her." Roshi chuckled. "Especially with a set like that. Hehehe."

Roshi yelped when Launch bashed his head with her fist. She glared at him in disgust. "Dirty old man."

From the waiting area, Tien frowned. _Amazing. I can actually feel her aura. But... something's different about it. It's like Goku's, but different. It just doesn't feel... human._

After a few more minutes of useless staring, Kitana finally broke the silence. "You can sense it, can't you. You're unsure as to whether you'll win or not. If your that worried, you can withdraw from the match."

The two were pulled out of their thoughts when that annoying announcer yelled out again. "Things are heating up in the ring! In an attempt to scare her opponent, Kitana has advised Krillin to withdraw from the match!"

Krillin gulped, and then glanced to the side to see Chi-Chi smiling at him. Smiling back, he turned back to Kitana with a glare. "No way."

Kitana blinked, glancing at Chi-Chi as well. She smirked.

Krillin's head reared back in surprise when he felt something enter his mind. Kitana's voice clouded his senses. _All this for a girl, Krillin? You were only in there for what? Five minutes? What exactly did the two of you talk about?_

Krillin frowned. _I don't think that's any of your business._

_Really? _Kitana said mischievously. _Well, I guess I'll just have to read your mind..._

_You wouldn't dare. _Krillin growled mentally.

_Alright, relax._ Kitana said, chuckling. _So are you sure you want to do this?_

_Hell yeah! I haven't had a decent fight in three years!_

Kitana smirked. _Your move, then._

With a yell, Krillin dashed forward a super speed, but Kitana just stood there motionless. He jumped at her, preparing to deliver a punch, but Kitana just blocked it with ease. Krillin delivered several fast strikes that Kitana either swerved away from or blocked, either way, Krillin never landed a single successful strike. Grunting in frustration, Krillin attempted to kick Kitana in the stomach, but Kitana disappeared and reappeared a few paces to his right. Turning his head in surprise, Krillin glared and shot his fist out, but Kitana caught it and tossed him aside with great strength. Landing in his feet, Krillin propelled himself back at Kitana, failing another kick and trying to correct himself with two more punches that Kitana just casually sidestepped away from.

"Stop blocking!" Krillin growled.

Kitana chuckled. "Getting a little frustrated, there?"

"Why don't you stop dodging and actually fight back?" Krillin retorted.

"You sure that's what you want?" Kitana said, smirking.

"Absolutely! I can handle anything you can dish out! Come on!"

He rushed to punch Kitana again, but Kitana swiftly leapt over Krillin's head, landing several meters behind him. Landing perfectly on her feet, she swiftly turned around to face Krillin, who sped up so that he was two meters away from her. Entering a battle stance, Krillin took a chance to catch his breath.

Kitana entered a fighting stance as well, smirking. "This may hurt a little bit..."

Krillin just glared, but then blinked when a strong wind seemed to pick up out of nowhere. The crowd started making noises of confusion, and the other combatants and the Outworlders all started wondering what's going on. Sindel just smirked, realizing what was about to come next.

Kitana smiled as she felt the wind running through her hair. Edenians had a natural affinity to the wind. Krillin just frowned in confusion. _What's she doing?_

dKitana closed her eyes, breathing in the air, and then opened her eyes, staring at Krillin with a smirk. Then, Kitana suddenly dissapeared, causing Krillin to blink in shock. Then, in an instant she was right in front of him, causing him to yelp in surprise.

"What the?" Goku said in shock. He didn't even see her.

"Krillin, move!" Chi-Chi yelled.

But Kitana had her fist pulled back, and it crackled lightly with light blue, ethereal energy, before anyone to comprehend her movements, she shot her fist out and struck Krillin right in the jaw. The bald monk was sent flying back, his head aiming for the wall surrounding the arena.

"Krillin!" Chi-Chi yelled.

Krillin flipped himself upright, and started racing at Kitana again. Kitana blinked in surprise, and grunted when she felt Krillin's fist connect with her face, knocking her flat on her back. Krillin put both of his fists together and prepared to bring them down on the Edenian Princess, but Kitana quickly flipped herself up, connecting her heals with Krillin's gut, sending him flying miles into the air. With a grunt, Kitana flew up after him.

Krillin gripped his stomach in pain, and sensed Kitana approaching. _Damn, she really hits hard! Guess I'll have to pull out the big gun._

Concentrating his ki, Krillin cupped his hands together. "Ka...

Blue energy started forming in between his hands. "Me..."

Kitana drew closer.

"Ha..." A blue energy sphere was churning around brightly in Krillin's hands. "Me..."

Kitana was now at Krillin's level, but he was facing away from her. But when he faced her, she noticed to late the energy he was creating. He thrust his hands out. "HA!"

There was a bright blue flash that filled up the sky as an enormous, powerful beam of energy consumed Kitana. Below, Yamcha pumped his fist out. "Alright, he did it!"

"Way to go, Krillin!" Chi-Chi said, chearing the bald monk.

The Outworlders were shocked. Such power. They need to learn how to control this ki! It was amazingly powerful.

Goku and Tien glanced at each other, exchanging unsure glanced. They glanced at Sindel, who was still smiling up at the spectacle. Above, Krillin's Kamehameha wave slowly faded away, showing Kitana, who to his surprise was virtually unharmed. But to an even bigger surprise, Kitana vanished from sight completely. An afterimage.

"Wha-Where did she go?" Krillin wondered. Suddenly, he felt a tap on his shoulder, and zipped around to see Kitana there, arms crossed and smirking.

"Hi." She said, and spun around so fast, delivering a roundhouse kick right to the side of Krillin's head. Krillin rocketed down towards the surface, and the entire crowd covered their eyes as there was brief explosion of dust and rubble, and once it cleared, Krillin was there, lying in a small crater. He was groaning in pain, rubbing a huge bruise that had formed on his head.

Kitana landed gently next to him, smiling at him in pity. She walked up to him, and Krillin blinked as he made out her image. He gave her a goofy grin. "Okay. You win."

Kitana chuckled, offering her hand to him. He took it, and she gently pulled him up, supporting him. "You did okay, Krillin."

"After showing more stamina than any fighter could hope to muster, Krillin has decided to stand down!" The announcer yelled. "Therefore under tournament guidelines, Kitana wins the match! Although he lost, Krillin's skill and bravery have given us one of the best performances ever seen in this ring!"

The crowd burst into applause, and Roshi smiled in pride. "Way to go Krillin. Now that's what I call self-improvement. The journey you've made since arriving at my island is amazing."

The crowed cheered as Kitana carefully led Krillin back to the waiting area, where she gently set him against the wall. Goku knelt down next to his friend, giving him a smile. "Krillin, that was a fantastic match! You've made great progress, I'm really amazed by your technique."

"As am I." Sindel said, crossing her arms. "You humans are more talented than I believed."

Krillin chuckled, hissing slightly in pain. "Yeah. The only thing missing was a win."

"You fought well, Krillin." Kitana said, patting Krillin's shoulder. "I haven't fought like that in a long while."

Suddenly, Kitana and Goku were shoved aside, revealing Chi-Chi, who starting fussing over Krillin's bruised form. "Oh my god, you poor thing! Did she hurt you? Oh you were amazing!"

Krillin chuckled. "I'm fine, Chi-Chi. Although, I think I need to rest for a few minutes."

"Attention semi-finalists and audience alike! It is now time for the semi-finals to begin!" The announcer said. "The first match will be Tien Shinhan vs. Goku!"

Tien and Goku both smirked at each other. They had been waiting for this rematch for a long time.

"At this time, would both fighters please make their way to the ring!"

Goku and Tien immediately made their way out to the ring, but as they made their way out, Kitana called out. "Tien?"

Tien blinked, and turned to face the princess. She gave him a smile. "Good luck."

Tien smiled. "Thanks."

* * *

N/A: Poor Krillin. But at least he get's the girl. Or whatever you Chi-Chi haters out there consider her. Lol. Next chapter, Goku vs. Tien. Now for power levels.

-**Kitana: **910

**-Krillin: **750

**-Krillin's Kamehameha: **900


	10. Rematch

**Chapter 10: Rematch**

Goku and Tien walked side by side towards the arena. The crowd watched in anticipation as last tournament's champion and finalist entered. After being given three years of training, they were all eager to see what the three could dish out.

Goku glanced at Tien with a smirk. "I assume this is going to be intense?"

Tien smirked as well. "Of course."

In that instant, both fighters leapt up into the air and landed on opposite ends of the stage. Entering fighting stances, Goku and Tien stared each other down, eager to get the match started. From the sidelines, Sindel, Kitana, the Outworlders, and Goku's friends watched intently.

"Goku's looking pretty serious this time." Krillin remarked, as Chi-Chi stood close to him.

"Is Tien Shinhan as strong as he looks?" Chi-Chi said curiously.

"Tremendously strong." Yamcha said. "Just you wait."

"We've sparred. I've seen." Kitana said, arms crossed.

In the ring, Tien smirked at Goku. "I've been looking forward to this. To be honest, I didn't feel like I really won last time."

Goku laughed, and a moment later, the announcer spoke. "And let the match begin!"

Goku and Tien instantly disappeared from sight, racing at each other at tremendous speed. They collided, Tien's forarm locked with Goku's knee, and a spark of ki flashing from the contact. Tien broke contact and immediately delivered a number of lightning fast strikes that Goku swiftly evaded. Ducking away from one, Goku flipped backwards and flew up into the sky. Watching the monkey-tailed warrior, Tien flew up in pursuit.

"It looks like this fight has taken flight!" The announcer shouted.

Goku continued to ascend rapidly into the air, frowning when Tien started to catch up to him. Pulling his arm back, Tien let out a yell as he fired a yellow ki blast up towards Goku. Cupping his fists together, Goku swung them down and knocked the blast back at Tien, only for the triclops to slap it aside. The blast flew several miles away before colliding with a park bench, scaring the shit out of an old woman walking her dog.

Flying upwards, Tien confronted Goku at eye level and started throwing punches that Goku blocked swiftly. Goku retaliated with his own fists, but Tien dodged those too. As the two threw unsuccessful punch after unsuccessful punch at each other, they began falling back down towards the stage. But before they could hit the ground they zipped away from each other, landing on opposite ends of the platform.

They instantly flew at each other again, but as they soared through the air they disappeared. The crowd all blinked in shock, unable to see anything. Their friends all blanched from the sidelines.

"Where did they go?" Goro asked, confused.

"I don't know. They've completely dissappeared!" Krillin said.

"But listen." Baraka hissed. "You can still hear them fighting!"

The Tarkatan's words were true. Despite being invisible to the human eye, the sounds of Goku and Tien trading blows could still be heard. Everyone present couldn't even spot the pair, except for Sindel. If anyone was looking at her instead of the seemingly empty stage, they could barely follow her pupils as they zipped in different directions, following the combatants on the stage.

"Is this a normal occurrence around here?" Chi-Chi wondered. "This is crazy!"

Suddenly, there was a flash of light as Goku and Tien suddenly appeared out of nowhere, their fists locked as they struggled against each other. Kitana watched closely, noticing that Tien seemed to be struggling the most, as Goku had a concentrated expression that evidently told her he had a more advanced stamina. Then, Goku smirked and flipped over onto his back and shot his legs out, hitting Tien right in the stomach and sending him flying.

Expertly flipping back to his feet, Goku watched as Tien zipped at superspeed down back to the stage and raced at him. Tien let out a yell as he shot his fist out and prepared to collide with the monkey-tailed teen, only for Goku to leap over Tien's head and summersault through the air before landing on his feet. Tien blinked and then stopped dead, spinning around and preparing to deliver a punch to the back of Goku's head. But to his surprise, his hand passed through an afterimage that instantly disappeared the moment his fist passed through it.

Tien looked around for any sign of his monkey-tailed opponent, but then sensed his signature and spun around, seeing Goku standing a few paces to his left, giving that Son grin of his.

"About time you found me. Did you get lost?"

Tien smirked, breathing heavily from the adrenaline. Goku on the other hand hadn't broken a sweat.

In the sidelines, Sindel folded her arms. "Amazing."

The group all turned to her in confusion. "Tien is facing an uphill battle if he thinks he can defeat Goku with usual tactics. Despite all that just happened, Goku hasn't even lost his breath. He clearly has perfect control over his energy, putting him ahead of Tien."

Kitana frowned at her mother's words. "That doesn't mean Tien doesn't have a chance. Does it?"

Sindel frowned. "I do not know. We'll have to wait and see."

* * *

As it turns out, Tien did not have a chance. Despite his strength, Tien had lost. He and Goku shook hands, the crowd cheering them loudly. Despite his loss, Tien fought quite well, and Kitana smiled as he entered the waiting area.

"Good job, Tien." She said. "You may not have won, but you fought like a true warrior."

"Thanks." Tien said, returning her smile.

Kitana then smirked. "Oh and, nice underwear."

Tien's face instantly went beat red, remembering when Goku stole his belt right from under him during the match, exposing his underwear to the entire crowd.

"Hmph." Tien grunted, walking into the waiting area. As he went in, Kitana glanced at Yamcha, and smirked.

"Well, Yamcha, looks like it's your turn. I'll try to make this quick."

Yamcha gulped, having seen how the Edenian Princess took down Krillin, who was much stronger than Yamcha!

Kitana smirked. "What's the matter? Are you afraid?"

Yamcha glared. "Hell no! Let's do this!"

* * *

Goku, Krillin, Chi-Chi, and Tien all cringed as Kitana drove her fist right into Yamcha's gut, causing the bandit to double over in pain. With a yell, Kitana brought her elbow down on the back of Yamcha's head, causing him to hit the ground face first. In the crowds, Bulma covered her eyes as her boyfriend was pummeled into the dirt. Literally, Kitana was beating him further into the ground, creating a large crater.

"Yes." Sheeva said, glancing at Sindel. "She is definitely your daughter."

"Never seen Yamcha take such a pounding." Krillin said, wincing as Kitana stomped him further into the ground.

"I don't think King Piccolo hit as hard as she does." Goku said, watching the display with wide eyes.

"She is something." Tien said, smirking.

Chi-Chi, meanwhile, watched Kitana with envy. Her strength, speed, and skill clearly outmatched her own. For a long time, Chi-Chi had thought she was the strongest woman on the planet. However, she now realized that her abilities were inferior to that of Sindel and Kitana's. She'd have to get stronger if she was ever going to move past Kitana.

Yamcha rolled over weakly onto his back, groaning as he saw Kitana looming over him. Glaring, he jumped up and tried to deliver a kick, only for Kitana to easily jump away so that she was standing a few meters away.

"You're good, Yamcha." Kitana said. "But I know a few techniques that make your's look like choreography on Broadway."

Yamcha glared. "Real funny. So why don't you just show me then?"

Kitana smirked. "Delighted."

Yamcha watched as Kitana performed several unusual handmotions, ending with her pointing and index fingers pointing upwards. At that instant, an invisible wave of ki exploded outwards, breaking away at the stone that made up the arena's flooring. Yamcha yelped as he found himself being pushed back, flying through the air. Everyone else present felt the intense wind from the attack, all fighting to stay put. Except for Sindel, who just smirked, her hair flowing in the wind.

"Woah!" Krillin yelled. "That's insane!"

Kitana dissapeared instantly, appearing behind Yamcha as he was sailing through the air, and bent her leg back, then shooting it out so that her foot struck Yamcha's spine. Yamcha hissed in pain and flew forward, hitting the ground and his face grinding through the stone until the friction slowed him down. He got up slowly, shaking his head, but then blinked when he found a shadow casting over him, and glanced up. His eyes went wide in horror as Kitana landed on him, her foot driving him deep into the stage. Yamcha grunted as he pulled himself out and flew at Kitana, but she easily evaded his strikes and drove her own fist right into his nose, sending him flying backwards.

Running at superspeed, Kitana threw a fist at Yamcha, and he barely managed to avoid it, her fist flying past his fast only by a millimeter. He tried to deliver a kick, but struck an afterimage and sensed an incoming strike, moving to the side to avoid Kitana's chop. Facing the Edenian, Yamcha threw his own punches that Kitana easily evaded, eventually disappearing and reappearing behind Yamcha, swinging her leg and hitting him right in the head. Yamcha flew down, crashing and getting lodged into the arena floor. He looked up, seeing Kitana bring her arm back and then point it out towards him, yelling as a yellow ki blast shot out and raced at him.

Yamcha screamed as he was enveloped in the blast, and everyone shielding their eyes as the entire arena was consumed in a bright yellow light.

"Incredible!" Baraka yelled over the noise.

Eventually, the blast faded, and the yellow light with it. There was a huge crater bored into the stage, with an unconcious Yamcha lying in the center.

"Yamcha!" Bulma yelled from the audience.

"Ouch..." Tien muttered.

Everyone looked up as Kitana gently floated down, landing right next to Yamcha. She smiled down at him apologetically.

"Sorry." She said, even though he was unconscious. "Sometimes I surprise even myself."

Kitana picked up Yamcha, throwing his still form over her shoulder, and walked off of the arena and over to her friends in the sidelines. The crowd instantly started cheering.

"Well, folks, looks like Kitana has bested one of our veteran fighters again! Up next is the final round between Goku and Kitana! Will Kitana defeat this tournament's most renowned veteran, or will Goku end her reign before it begins?"

Kitana set Yamcha down against the wall, letting his friends tend to him. Her mother and Outworld friends congradulated her, and as she smiled at their praise, she glanced at Goku, who was looking at her with anticipation, his tail wagging eagerly. He was looking forward to this.

* * *

A/N: Yeah, didn't really feel like I did to well with this chapter. I just couldn't figure out how to continue the rest of the Tien and Goku fight. :/ hopefully the next one is more satisfying. But I hope some of you out there liked it. Next chapter, Goku vs. Kitana. Now for power levels.

-**Goku**: 850

-**Tien (max strength)**: 818

-**Kitana: **910

-**Yamcha (max strength)**: 780


	11. Kitana Rising

**Chapter 11: Kitana Rising**

"Ladies and gentlemen! Your patience is about to be rewarded! The final match of the 23rd Martial Arts Tournament begins now! Welcome the contestants: Goku and Kitana!"

The crowd burst into applause. Bulma, Roshi, Oolong, Puar, and Launch seemed to be cheering much louder than most in the audience.

The announcer gave a smile and motioned his hand over towards the sidelines, where Goku and Kitana were standing. The crowd's cheering grew louder at the sight of the two.

Sindel put a hand on her daughter's shoulder. "Good luck, Kitana. This is where all that training Kami tought you will pay off. Whether you win or lose makes no difference. I know you'll make me proud."

Kitana smiled and hugged her mother. "Thank you, mother."

Goku smiled at the family affection between the two. Sindel released Kitana, and the nodded at Goku. Kitana gave him a smile herself, and then walked out onto the stage. Goku smiled, but then looked down when Krillin tapped his shoulder.

"I know you can defeat her, Goku." He said. "You just have to!"

"I promise to do my best. But she is one strong adversary." Goku said honestly. "I mean you should know. You and Yamcha both fought her and still couldn't beat her."

Krillin made a face. "She caught me off guard! You have a better chance here. You always do!"

"We'll see." Tien said, standing in the back near the Outworlders with his arms crossed.

Goku looked at his friends, who were all looking at him with hope. Goku smiled at them all. "I'll try my best guys. I promise."

Goku followed Kitana out onto the stage, standing on the opposite end so they were both facing each other. The announcer spoke over the crowd. "The crowd is getting extremely anxious and it's no surprise! After all, these two warriors have one thing in common: They're both super-human! Cover your heads and get ready!"

In the sidelines, the others watched with mixed expressions and thoughts. Sindel, curious, reached out with her mind and scanned their thoughts.

_Goku, you better beat this girl! If you don't, I'll train and beat her for you! _Chi-Chi thought.

_I know Goku won't let us down. He's strong. But... Kitana may be stronger! Sindel sure was, and Kitana's her daughter! _Krillin thought.

_The princess' power is phenomenal. This wonders of this realm offer so much that must be learned. Perhaps, with this power, we could free the Shokan from Shao Kahn's grasp. _Goro thought.

_She's so determined. Just like her mother. There is no doubt that this girl is the daughter of Queen Sindel and King Jerrod. It's a shame the poor girl never knew her father. Such a strong man he was. _Sheeva thought.

_This... is incredible. Maybe this deal with the Shokan was worth something after all. I hope Mileena will adapt though. The poor girl... _Baraka thought.

_Kitana's amazing. She took down Krillin and Yamcha with little effort. And even when we were sparring I could barely keep up with her! Can't say I've ever met a girl like her before. I wonder if she thinks I... _Sindel was pulled out of Tien's thoughts by the announcer, whose voice was really getting on the Edenian Queen's nerves.

"No one knows what may happen during the course of such a sensational battle! But these two warriors are sure to entertain you!"

Goku and Kitana stared at each other, waiting for the precise moment to begin the match. They had drowned out the noise of the crowd, and were now simply reading each others' power signatures. Kitana was easily able to detect every trace of Goku's strength, whether it was hidden or not, and she was quite impressed. Goku, however, was having some difficulty detecting Kitana's true power. It was quite frustrating.

"On my mark," the announcer said. "get set...BEGIN!"

The noise of the gong began the match, and both Goku and Kitana yelled as they charged at each other. Their elbows collided, and they both cringed lightly from the slight pain from the impact. They struggled against each other, and Goku threw his other fist at Kitana's face, but the Edenian Princess lifted her hand up and caught it. Goku grunted as he jerked his fist away and jerked his head to the side when Kitana sung her fist at him. Throwing her other fist in his direction, Goku caught it, and felt his body being pushed back a few millimeters as a result. Kitana then started throwing a volley of jabs at Goku, which the monkey-tailed warrior was doing his best to block. The two then started trading blows, and they were both moving so swiftly that no one could really keep up with them quite well.

Eventually, Kitana caught both of Goku's fists in her hands, and then jerked her foot up, slamming the heel of her boot right into Goku's face. Goku yelled as he was forced away from Kitana, quickly regaining his composure in midair and landing on his feet. He watched carefully as Kitana rushed at superhuman speed, zipping right behind him, and quickly shot his elbow back and nailed her right in the forehead. Kitana flew back, flipping in midair and landing right on the edge of the arena. Getting into a fighting stance, she waited for Goku to make the next move, watching as her opponent raced at her at superspeed.

The audience watched as Kitana disappeared as well, and could hear them trading blows despite being invisible to the naked eye. Ripples in the air signified where they were, but other than that they could not be seen at all.

"Looks like it's an even match." Sindel remarked as she and the others struggled to keep track of the altercation.

"How are you able to keep track of all this?" Baraka wondered.

The group all looked up when they heard the noise of the battle race upwards, and saw Goku and Kitana reappear as they fists collided, creating a small sonic boom. The two fell from the sky and onto the arena, posed in fighting stances and staring at each other with determination. Goku attacked first, aiming his face at Kitana's face, but Kitana jerked to the side and grabbed Goku's arm. Spinning around a few times, Kitana hurled Goku up into the air, and then jerked her fist forward, unleashing a telekinetic strike that nailed Goku right in the face, jerking his head back.

Seeing Kitana was now racing at him from below, Goku put his hand out an fired a blue ki blast, but it passed through an afterimage, and Goku sensed Kitana's energy behind him. He spun around, only to be met by a yellow ki blast, which struck him right in the chest and sent him hurdling towards the Earth. Racing after him with her fist outstretched, Kitana slammed into him mid-descent, pushing him towards the ground even faster until both collided with the stage.

There was a pillar of rubble and dust created by the collision, and the audience all shielded their eyes as dust flew outwards. In the center of the enormous crater that was now in the center of the stage, Kitana stood on top of Goku's prone form, leaping out so that she was on the edge of the crater. Kitana sensed his energy, and smirked, realizing it was far from over.

However, to the crowd, he appeared out. The announcer spoke up. "It appears that Goku is down for the count! 1... 2... 3..."

Still no movement. "He's down! Goku is down! There is no movement in the pit! We'll give him one more try! 1... 2... 3..."

Krillin looked shocked. "Oh man... Did Kitana really hit him that hard?! I mean it's Goku! He's supposed to handle anything!"

"... 4... 5... 6... 7..."

Kitana frowned down at Goku's prone form. Something wasn't right... With how close their ki signatures were, it was too easy...

Slowly, Kitana knelt down by Goku, reaching out to touch his shoulder. "Goku...?"

Kitana jumped back when Goku's head shot up, giving Kitana a goofy smile. From the sidelines, Goku's friends all smiled and laughed, relieved that their friend wasn't out. Sindel and the Outworlders all showed looks of surprise. And impressiveness.

"Haha. Fooled ya!" Goku said, getting up and removing the torn torso of his gi, revealing the blue t-shirt underneath. He tightened the belt around his pants to keep them from falling down, and got into another fighting stance, smiling at Kitana eagerly.

Kitana smirked. "Good to see you're still up. I was afraid the fight was over before it started."

Goku smiled. "Well, I'm ready when you are, Kitana!"

"Good. But let me just make a few adjustments." Kitana said. Goku blinked when Kitana took the tiara off her head and tossed it to the sidelines. Sindel quickly shot her hand out and caught it with ease, and set it down gently on a small stone slab nearby. Next, Kitana removed her boots and detached sleeves, letting them fall to the ground. Goku blinked when he saw the ground actually cave in beneath the articles of clothing.

Seeing his expression, Kitana smirked. "Weighted clothing. A great way to raise one's strength during training. You should try it sometime, Goku."

"Wow." Goku said. "Maybe I will!"

Now barefoot and sleeveless, Kitana's outfit was much more revealing, and she entered a fighting stance. "Now, let's continue."

Goku's eyes went wide when Kitana suddenly raced at him at super speed, and he barely managed to lift his hands up and catch her fists before they made contact with her face. He grunted as he felt his body being pushed back, the Edenian's power no longer hampered by the weighted clothing. With a grunt, Goku shot his legs out and struck Kitana in the stomach, causing her to gasp in slight pain and fly back. Goku tried to throw another kick at her, but she grabbed his leg and started smashing him against the ground several times. Goku was able to wrench his leg free from her grasp and raced forward, driving his knee right into Kitana's jaw, causing some spit to fly from her mouth.

Leaping back, Goku landed gently on the ground. Kitana rubbed her jaw, wincing at the minor pain, and glanced a Goku with a frown. "Well, at least now we know you hit girls!"

Goku smiled that famous Son grin, rubbing the back of his head in slight guilt, only to disappear at high speed. Kitana blinked, and quickly started looking around for any sign of her monkey-tailed adversary.

"Woah! After an amazing attack Goku has vanished again!" The announcer jeered.

Kitana glanced around, keeping a close eye out for Goku.

"He's dissapeared completely from mortal sight." Sindel said, arms crossed. "Let's see if Kitana's senses have improved enough for her to spot him."

The area was dead silent, save for a few whispers in the crowds and birds chirping in the air. Kitana remained absolutely still, her eyes jerking in different directions to find any trace of distortions in the air. Suddenly, there was a shimmer, and Kitana spun around and drove a right-hook right into Goku's jaw, sending him flying back and crashing into the wall right next to where his friends and the Outworlders were standing. With the exception of Sindel, the group all jumped back in surprise.

Krillin, face written with shock, inched forward. "Goku?"

Kitana too moved a little closer, but frowned when she saw no sign of him. "Gone again. Where are you, Goku?"

"I'm right here!"

Kitana spun around and grunted when a lug was swung outwards and struck her in the head. Kitana was sent flying back, but quickly regained her composure and stood firm, anticipating Goku's next move. Goku attempted another sneak attack, but Kitana spun around faster to face him and put her forearm out to block the strike. Goku then delivered several fast strikes that Kitana blocked carefully. She quickly caught his fists in both hands, and then twisted them slightly, causing Goku to yelp in pain, and then kicked him right in the chin and sent him flying up into the sky, crashing into the ground shortly thereafter.

Kitana smirked. "Come on, Goku! You're getting more and more predictable! Show me something new!"

"Fine. This is a little trick I learned while using my friend Bulma's gravity chamber!" Goku said. "Super Kamehameha!"

In the sidelines, his friends blinked in surprise. "A super?!" Krillin said.

"What's a kamehameha?" Goro asked.

"You're about to find out!" Tien said.

"This should be interesting..." Sindel said smirking.

Goku cupped his hands and drew them to his side. "Ka..."

Kitana stepped back when a blue energy sphere formed in between Goku's hands. "... me... ha..."

The sphere started growing larger, much larger than usual. Goku's hands started to spread further apart the more the sphere grew. Stray flares of blue light started flying from the sphere, and Goku was clearly struggling to contain that loose ki. "Me..."

Kitana smirked as the light from the growing Kamehameha illuminated the arena. "That's more like it!"

Goku shot his hands out towards Kitana. "HA!"

The energy sphere was now practically elephantine size, and a wave of blue energy shot out and raced at Kitana. As the beam was mere inches away from hitting her, Kitana, at lightning fast speed, lifted her hands up above her head and thrust them forward.

"MASENKO!"

At that instant, a beam of yellowish white energy erupted from Kitana's palms and collided with Goku's Super Kamehameha wave. The shockwave from the impact caused everyone else present to be blown back a few inches, and everyone watched in awe as both beams struggled against each other. The ground shook from the struggle between the two attacks, but it soon became clear who the dominant was.

Goku's eyes widened when his Kamehameha wave, his most powerful attack yet, was quickly pushed back. _No way!_

Goku yelled out when the Masenko quickly overtook him. The blast sent powerful shockwaves that tore the foundation of the arena apart, but Kitana made sure to dampen the rogue ki so as not to harm anyone in the audience.

Soon, the light vanishes, and all that could be seen was a cloud of dust and smoke. The crowd all muttered in shock, fear, and confusion, wondering what had just happened.

As the smoke slowly cleared, the audience made out the figure of Kitana, still standing firm with her hands pointed outwards. She was breathing heavily, but there was still no sign of Goku. Krillin looked around. "W-Where's Goku?!"

"Relax, child." Krillin turned towards Sindel. "He is fine."

Everyone looked back up at the stage, the smoke finally gone, and all blanched when they saw Goku, his clothes shredded and burned, standing firmly. He was covered in burn marks and some blood. He gave Kitana a weak smile.

"Hehe... Okay, that one hurt."

"He-He's still alive?!" Baraka exclaimed. Hearing the Tarkatan, Kitana glanced at him.

"Of course he's still alive, Baraka. I didn't make the Masenko powerful enough to kill him or anything. Besides, it's against the rules."

Sheeva crossed her four arms. "Definitely unlike the Mortal Kombat tournaments."

Goku shook off the pain, getting into another fighting stance. This caused Kitana, their friends, and the entire audience to blink in surprise. "Er... are you sure, Goku? That last attack hit you pretty hard..."

"I'm fine, Kitana." Goku assured, smiling. "Now let's continue this fight!"

Kitana smirked. "If you say so."

Both combatants vanished from sight, once again engaging each other at top speed. Krillin groaned. "Again with the disappearing tricks? Where are they now?"

Sindel smiled. "Look up."

Everyone looked up, seeing that the two were now fighting in midair. They were trading so many blows, countering and blocking each time. But Kitana soon found an opening, driving her fist right into Goku's gut. Goku lurched forward, letting out an inaudible gasp. Kitana's Masenko had left him quite drained. Had he thought more clearly on the possibilities of him winning this fight, he may have had a chance. But in this universe, fate had other plans for him.

Taking advantage of this, Kitana started barraging Goku with several more strikes, and Goku grunted and yelled in pain as each strike made contact with his body. After dazing her opponent, Kitana put both her fists together and brought them down on Goku's head, sending him flying down towards the ground. Before he could make contact, Goku regained flight and raced back up at Kitana with a determined glare.

Kitana grunted as his fist struck her upside the head. Kitana reeled back in midair, before making a rapid descent down towards the arena. However, Kitana flipped herself upright in midair. She could tell Goku was growing tired, so she needed to end this quickly. And to do that, she decided to show off one of her favorite moves. Something she herself invented in her spare time.

Crossing her arms with her fingers together knife-like. Then, she yelled, "TEHEMARURU!", and two glowing blue disks of ki formed in her hands. They were similar to the Destructo Disk technique Krillin had been working on while using Bulma's gravity chamber, except these were much smaller, almost disk sized, and light blue in color. She held onto them like frisbees, and rushed forward towards Goku, who blinked in shock as she swiped the disk out weapon-like, slashing against his chest.

While it wasn't deep enough for anything fatal, Goku yelled in pain as a small gash was made in his stomach, blood seeping from it. He glared at Kitana. "Are you trying to kill me? That's against the rules!"

Kitana rolled her eyes. "Of course not. I'm not that dishonorable. It's merely a way of tiring you out so as to end this fight quicker."

"Tire me out?" Goku said, confused. "Why would I do that?"

Kitana shook her head. "Don't deny it, Goku. I can tell you're the kind of person who revels in fighting, but we all have our breaking point. And I intend to trigger your's before you blow yourself up."

Kitana dissapeared and reappeared by an unsuspecting Goku, slashing at his back with the disks, creating more and more cuts. Goku yelled in pain and spun around to strike the Edenian Princes, but Kitana jerked her foot forward and struck him right in the nose with her heel.

Goku's head jerked back from the strike, and Kitana swerved behind him and slammed her knee right into his spine, sending him careening further into the air. He spun around to face her again, but his eyes widened when Kitana was already there, spinning around and delivering a right hook to his nose. Blood now dripping from his nostrils, Goku yelled as he attempted to deliver another strike, but Kitana twirled her disks around in her hands.

"Anmarein!" She said, and a wave of blue, almost wind like ki fluttered from the fans and enveloped Goku. Goku blinked as he felt his body being jostled around by the ki, as if it was keeping him from moving. He fought to break free, but it was in vain, and he watched with wide eyes as the disks faded from Kitana's hands, and she spun around, disappearing in blue cloud of ki. Goku didn't even register that she had appeared behind him until he felt her strike the back of his head, and she carried him at great speed down towards the arena.

In moments, the two collided with the crater that Kitana had knocked Goku in earlier, and the ground shook violently and a pillar of dirt erupted from the crater and Kitana drove Goku further and further beneath the ground

The group nearby watched in shock as the two seemed to be going so far as to reach the Earth's core, until there was a yell, followed by a blast of yellow energy that erupted from the hole. The Earth shook as the light shot out of the crater, only to stop moments later, and everything was silent again.

The crowd all watched in awe as Kitana gently floated out from the crater, landing on the edge, and looking down.

"Did... did she..." Tien wondered, as Krillin, Chi-Chi, and the Outworlders all leaned forward curiously. Sindel smirked.

Slowly but surely, the form of Goku weakly pulled himself out of the crater near Kitana's feet. Kitana watched as the monkey-tailed warrior rolled over onto his back so he was looking up at Kitana.

He smiled goofy at her. "That was awesome!"

Kitana chuckled, putting her hands on her hips. "Still wan't to keep fighting?"

Goku actually contemplated on this, but winced at the many cuts and bruises all over his body. He laughed weakly, shaking his head. "Nah... I'm done. You win..."

His friends all went slack-jawed. To hear Goku say this was purely shocking. Even Master Roshi and Bulma, who were sitting in the audience, went wide eyes with shock.

"Is Goku saying what I think he's saying?" Krillin muttered.

"It appears so." Tien said.

"Well, that sure was something folks!" The announcer yelled out. "After what might have been the most fantastic fight of all time, Goku, our most ruccrent finalist, has lost to this mysterious newcomer! Ladies and gentlemen... the winner of the 23rd Martial Arts Tournament: Kitana!"

The crowd burst into thunderous applause, and the Outworlders started cheering as well. Sindel smiled at her daughter in pride, and Kitana returned the smile. After getting over the initial shock, Goku's friends all started applauding as well.

Kitana sighed, taking in the cheering. _I've won. I guess that makes me a celebrity like mother. Not sure if I like that..._

Reaching down, she helped Goku up to his feet, and glanced over at the sidelines, meeting Tien's gaze. He gave her a smile with a silent congrats, a smile which she returned.

* * *

A/N: Wow. That took a while to write. So yes, Kitana is stronger than Goku at full power. For those of you who think Goku is too weak right now, that's because in this timeline, he never trained under Kami or learned any of his training methods like the weighted clothing. He did, however, contribute to Bulma's gravity chamber, which was invented early here so that Goku and his friends could catch up to Sindel. So basically, everyone is much stronger than they were in the canon. If that's the case, Raditz will be in for a big surprise.

Well, now for power levels.

-**Kitana (without weighted clothing): **1,010

-**Goku**: 850

-**Goku (Super Kamehameha)**: 1,020

-**Kitana (Masenko)**: 1,210

Again, if any of you see any problems with the power levels, feel free to tell me.


	12. The Crossroads of Destiny

**Chapter 12: The Crossroads of Destiny**

**Age 761**

After the two groups had parted ways, peace and relative normalcy had returned to Earth. Sindel, Kitana, and the Outworlders remained at Kami's Lookout, where the Outworlders spent the following three years extensively training under Kami to master the art of ki manipulation. With how experienced she already was, Sindel helped the old guardian train them as well. Of the four Outworld warriors, the one that had Sindel especially intrigued was Mileena.

Even before she had begun training, the hybrid's potential was enormous! Her mixed Edenian/Tarkatan strength added with her new ki signature made her as strong as Kitana, and she already had some good experience with the sais.

By personality, Mileena was basically a child. Her naive character reminded Sindel of Goku. She was, however, self-conscious about her mouth. Her Tarkatan DNA gave her the razor sharp teeth that the Tarkatan's were so well known for, so she always wore a veil over it, never letting anybody see her without it.

Kitana had grown especially fond of Mileena, treating her like a little sister. The two could often be found sparring with one another, like they were now.

Kitana smirked as she easily avoided a strike from her half-sister. "Keep up with me, Mileena. You almost hit me."

Mileena hissed at her other. She was wearing a pink lingerie-like outfit that would cause most men to goggle at her. Sh swung around to deliver a kick, which Kitana simply swerved away from. Mileena threw a punch at her sister, which Kitana blocked with her forearm and drove her knee up, striking Mileena in the gut. Mileena hissed and jumped back, swiping her leg out to kick Kitana's legs out from under her. Kitana easily jumped over Mileena's leg and shot her foot out, hitting Mileena in the chin.

Mileena stumbled back, rubbing her chin and glaring at Kitana. "No fair!"

"My dear sister." Kitana said, smirking. "Who ever said _I_ was fair?"

Mileena growled, and got into a fighting stance. Kitana blinked when a pink, wind-like aura surrounded Mileena. "Let's see how you like this!"

Kitana watched as Mileena brought her arms back, and then shot them forward knife-like. "SOARING SAI!"

A number of pink, pointy energy projectiles shot out of Mileena's fingertips, and Kitana's eyes went wide and she quickly leapt away from them. The shots raced over to Mr. Popo's garden, cutting up several of his flowers. The girls turned when they heard a horrified scream, seeing Mr. Popo standing up at the top of the stairs leading to Kami's palace. He had his hands up on his face, a horrified look in his eyes.

"My flowers!" Popo said, rushing to tend his injured garden. "Mileena, you have no respect for nature!"

Mileena laughed slightly. "Sorry, Popo."

Popo gave a hmph, and left the two alone. Kitana turned towards Mileena with curiousity. "When did you learn how to do that?"

Mileena smiled in pride. "It's a new technique I made! I figured since you made that funny trick with the energy disks, I could make one of my own!"

"It was impressive, I'll admit." Kitana said. "But it could have easily killed me. You need to be careful when you use that."

"Sorry." Mileena said, feeling guilty. Kitana sighed.

"You're such a child, Mileena."

Mileena pouted, crossing her arms. "Am not."

"Are to." Kitana corrected, smirking.

"Am not!" Mileena hissed.

"Ah, careful Mileena. Don't want you throwing a tantrum." Kitana said, chuckling.

Mileena glared. "You're so full of it, Kitana!"

"Well, I do happen to be the champion of the World Martial Arts Tournament." Kitana said, putting her hands on her hips in a display of arrogance.

"Yes, well..." Mileena said, thinking. Then she smirked. "Your mother saved the world!"

Instead of getting angry like Mileena had hoped, Kitana just smiled in pride. "Yes. Yes she did. I wonder where she is?"

Mileena shrugged. "Let's go find her."

The two girls wondered outside, enjoying the warm sun and fresh air. Eventually, they found Sindel standing beside Kami at the edge of the lookout, gazing out at the horizon. Sensing the energy signatures of the two girls, Sindel turned, and smiled.

"Hello, girls. I hope your training has been going well."

"It is, mother." Kitana said. "Mileena here invented a new technique."

Sindel smiled at Mileena. "Really? Perhaps you could show me sometime."

"Okay!" Mileena said excitedly.

Kami chuckled. "You girls just love to show off. I must say, the lookout has been so much more interesting when you all came around."

Sindel smiled at her friend. "You've done much for us Kami. We're glad to have you as much as you do us."

Kami smiled. Kitana and Mileena strode up, the former glancing at her mother. "So, anything new?"

Kami shrugged. "Not as of yet. The world is as calm and peaceful. Which is preferable given what we're experienced with."

"What about our friends?" Kitana asked.

Kami closed his eyes, reaching out with his senses. He smiled. "The human warriors have progressed quite far in their training. Thanks to the machinery of the one you call Bulma, they have grown quite strong since you last encountered them. Especially that monkey-tailed boy, Goku."

"Perhaps we should pay them all a visit." Kitana said eagerly.

Mileena smiled. "Maybe we could fight them! You think I could beat them, Kitana?"

Kitana shrugged. "Maybe. Depends on how strong they've gotten."

Sindel chuckled. "Well, maybe later we'll head down there, see how they... how they..."

Sindel stopped talking, her eyes widening when she sensed a foreign energy signature enter the Earth's atmosphere. Kami, Kitana, and Mileena sensed it as well. It was huge, almost as high as Sindel

"What was that?" Mileena exclaimed. She had recently learned how to sense ki, as did the other Outworlders, who had just stormed out of the palace after sensing the signature, and joining the others.

"Did you all sense that as well?" Sheeva asked.

Sindel nodded. "Yes... Kami, can you tell us what it is?"

Kami concentrated, reaching out with his mind until he saw a good look at the strange object. He frowned. "It's a space pod... just like the one Goku was in!"

Sindel blinked. "Do you think it could be another of his kind?"

"It's a possibility." Kami said.

"Do you think they're friendly?" Kitana asked.

Sindel frowned. "Goku's space pod was spouting out orders for him to destroy the planet. I think that after hearing that, it's safe to assume he doesn't come from a polite group of people."

"What do we do?" Baraka asked.

"We find it, and see if it's a threat."

* * *

Bulma Brief was working hard in her laboratory, glaring at Yamcha, who had fallen asleep over on the couch nearby. Bulma honestly didn't know why she still put up with the ex-bandit. They had broken up so many times, yet she still forgave him each time, only for the same results to follow. They really needed to talk.

Bulma jumped at an explosion from outside, the noise from which jolted Yamcha out of his sleep and caused him to role off the couch and fall onto the floor with a thud.

Rubbing his head, Yamcha jumped up. "What the hell was that?"

Bulma rolled her eyes. "What do you think? Oh, it's to early for this..."

Walking out of the lab and upstairs, Bulma went outside, not surprised to see the gravity chamber now a smoking pile of rubble. She watched as Goku pulled himself out, bruised and burned. He gave her a sheepish smile.

"Bulma, I think the chamber needs fixing again."

Bulma sighed, shaking her head. "Goku, this is the third time this week! How do you keep doing this?"

Goku shrugged. "I dunno. Maybe I've gotten to strong for the chamber. Maybe it needs to be upped to my level."

"He's got a point, Bulma." Yamcha said, having followed her out. "It hasn't just been happening with him. Tien was using it yesterday, and the thing nearly blew a gasket!"

Bulma groaned. "Fine, whatever. I'll see if I can get around to it. But that can wait. We're meeting the other's at Kame House soon."

Goku's face lit up. "I almost forgot about that! Man, it's gonna be great seeing the old gang back together!"

Yamcha smirked. "Maybe then we can all spar. We've all gotten pretty strong since the tournament."

"Speaking of which, I wonder how Sindel and Kitana are doing..." Goku wondered.

* * *

Tien's eyes shot open as he sensed a mysterious power level in the distance. He and Chiaotzu were sitting in their capsule house in the middle of a canyon, Launch having left a few days back after her blonde form got into an argument with Tien.

Chiaotzu sensed it to, and opened his eyes to see Tien standing up. "Tien?"

Tien glanced at his friend. "I'm gonna see what it is, Chiaotzu. I won't be gone long. I promise."

"Okay, Tien." Chiaotzu said. "Be careful."

* * *

In a green grassy field, a man with extremely long hair who was wearing some sort of armor and a furry tail wrapped around his waste stood in a large crater that his space pod had landed. He had just dispatched an idiotic farmer with very little effort.

"Hm. Kakarot hasn't even killed the planet's population, and they are barely above a five. Pathetic. He has much to answer for." The man, Raditz, growled.

Raditz tapped a small device covering his left eye, causing it to flash briefly. A few seconds later, a reading came in, and Raditz's face fell with shock.

"Impossible... there are at least three power levels above 1,000 on this planet! Not only that, but there are several others that are higher than 500!" Raditz exclaimed. "The scouter must be broken or something. The Earthlings weren't supposed to be this strong..."

Raditz examined the power levels again, growling in frustration. This could explain why Kakarot failed in his mission. Those other power levels must have slaughtered him. However, something was keeping Raditz from believing that his brother was defeated by a weak race like the humans.

"This can't be right!" Raditz growled. "One of these power levels has to be Kakarot!"

With that, Raditz flew off in the direction of the nearest power level. If it turned out it wasn't Kakarot, Raditz would dispatch them without a second thought.

* * *

A/N: Ah, finally the Dragon Ball Z sagas have begun. Not that I didn't like writing the first few chapters, but the Z storylines were always where the real action was in my opinion. Now, for power levels.

-**Raditz:** 1,200

-**Sindel:** 1,100

-**Goku:** 950

-**Kitana:** 1,010

-**Mileena: **710

-**Goro:** 850

-**Sheeva:** 850

-**Baraka:** 700

-**Tien:** 818

-**Yamcha:** 700 (slacker)

-**Chiaotzu:** 550

-**Mr. Popo:** I have no idea, lol


	13. Elsewhere

**Chapter 13: Elsewhere**

"Have you found them?"

Shang Tsung gulped as he looked up at Shao Kahn, who tapped his fingers against the arm rest of his throne impatiently. Numerous Tarkatan guards stood around, watching curiously. The Raptor warrior known only as Reptile clung to the ceiling, watching the spectacle from a safe distance. Three other figures stood by Shao Kahn's side. One was a woman with blood red hair and a matching lingerie-like outfit. Her name Skarlet, she had the markings of a kunoichi, even carrying ninja weapons like kunai and shurikens. Beside her stood a man, an Edenian man clad in purple armor/robe and veil. His name was Rain. And on the opposite side of Shao Kahn was another woman. Her face was concealed by a hood and green veil, while the rest of her body was covered in lingerie similar to Skarlet's, except it was green. She had a strange aura about her, one of sinister intent.**  
**

"N-not yet, my lord." Shang Tsung stuttered, his face going pale when Shao Kahn's orange, snake-like eyes narrowed dangerously. "We have searched across all of the home realms, even some from beyond, but there are countless numbers of them, so it may take centuries to locate them."

"That's not what I wanted to hear, sorcerer." Shao Kahn growled, standing up, fists clenched. "I've lost my queen and two daughters, even three of my former servants. And I don't take desertion to kindly. I want them found. Now!"

"Y-yes, of course, my lord." Shang Tsung stuttered.

The court watched as the sorcerer left the proceedings, Shao Kahn growling as he sat back down in his throne. He turned to the Edenian man standing near him.

"Rain!"

Rain glanced at Shao Kahn. "Yes, emperor?"

"While Shang Tsung is dealing with finding Sindel, I must ask something of you." Shao Kahn said, and Rain leaned in to hear. "I have found my next target. A place called Earthrealm. It is fragile and easy to conquer. The next tournament will be held there, and I want you representing Outworld as its champion."

Rain immediately bowed. "Yes, emperor. I will be honored."

Shao Kahn smiled. "Good. Soon, like Edenia, Earthrealm will be ours."

"No, it won't. Well, not your's anyway."

Shao Kahn blinked, and then gasped when a blade erupted from his chest, blood seeping from the wound. His servants all backed away in shock, and Shao Kahn looked back to see the green clad Edenian girl was standing behind his throne, gripping a large sword. From beneath her veil, she smiled evily.

Shao Kahn's face immediately screwed up in anger. "You... How dare you strike your emperor?!"

"I'm not." The girl said. "I'm striking a fool. A fool who is as of now beneath me."

Shao Kahn roared in outrage, ripping the sword from his chest and spinning around to throw his fist at the girl's face. But to his shock, the girl caught his fist with ease, and kneed Shao Kahn right in the gut. The once proud emperor doubled over in pain, and the girl kicked him in the face. An unexpected amount of force sent Shao Kahn sprawling out onto the ground. She started to make her way over to him, when she sensed something approaching from behind, and spun around and caught Skarlet by the throat.

Skarlet gasped as she was choked by the young traitor, dropping the kunai she was planning to stab the girl with. The girl snarled at Skarlet. "Do not interfere!"

Tossing Skarlet away, the girl turned back to Shao Kahn, who had gotten up and was glaring at the Edenian with hatred. Summoning his hammer, Shao Kahn roared as he prepared to bring it down on her, but the girl moved quicker and plunged her fist right into the wound left by her sword. Shao Kahn gasped and dropped him hammer, and howled in agony and shock as the girl ripped out his spine and skull through his chest. Now lacking a brain, Shao Kahn stumbled around dumbly, and the girl smirled as she swung his skull like a club by the spine, striking him right in the head. Shao Kahn fell over, now mortally wounded and doomed to death.

Dropping Shao Kahn's skull, Jade turned towards the shocked court.

Smiling, Jade removed her hood, revealing beautiful, long black hair. "Any other takers?"

Getting no response, Jade nodded. "Good. Now, we do things my way. Shao Kahn is finished, and now I rule his empire. If anyone here has any objections, please, kindly say so."

Everyone looked at her in slight fear, and Rain eventually bowed. "Yes, Empress, we will obey you. What are your orders?"

Jade smiled. "Well, first off, I have no intention of claiming Earthrealm. That pit has nothing of value. But there is another realm. One that is out of the Elder Gods' reach."

"What realm?" Rain asked, confused.

* * *

"Krillin! Come on, we have to be at Kame House soon!" Chi-Chi yelled.

"I'm sorry! I'm trying to find Marron!" Krillin yelled from inside their apartment. After the pair had gotten married, Krillin had wanted to move to East City, as he wasn't the wilderness type that Chi-Chi had grown up to be. After a lengthy argument, Chi-Chi agreed, and the two used a majority of the Ox-King's inheritance to buy out one of the biggest apartments in the city. It took up the entire top floor of the building, with a nice balcony overlooking it.

Chi-Chi scoffed. "She's a little girl, Krillin! How hard can it be to find her!"

"I don't... Wait, never mind. I found her." Krillin said back. There was a childish giggling sound from back in their shared bedroom, and Chi-Chi smiled when Krillin came out holding a little girl. The girl was dressed in a little pink dress, and she had Chi-Chi's black colored hair and Krillin's face.

"She was hiding under the bed." Krillin said, smiling at their daughter.

"Little rascal." Chi-Chi said, taking Marron from him. Giving her daughter a kiss, Chi-Chi looked back at her husband. "Well, now that we found her, we better be getting to Master Roshi's. I hope we're not the first ones there. No way am I gonna be alone with that old pervert."

"Oh, come on." Krillin said defensively. "He isn't that bad."

Chi-Chi rolled her eyes, and she and Krillin flew from their apartment and away from East City.

* * *

Tien landed in a desert valley, sensing that the unknown ki signature was approaching fast. He frowned, trying to make out what the signature was. It couldn't be Goku. While he had grown stronger, he wasn't close to this level yet. Sindel? No. It didn't feel like her. Or Kitana. Then who...

Suddenly, Tien spotted a figure flying towards him from the distance. The figure descended slowly and landed a few feet away from him. It was a tall and muscular man with outrageously long and untamed hair. He had some kind of brown and black armor and a device over his left eye.

Raditz frowned at the three-eyed warrior. "You're not Kakarot. You're just some three-eyed freak."

Tien frowned, ignoring the stranger's comment. "Who are you? What are you doing here?"

"I'm not obligated to converse with insects." Raditz sneered. "However, if you happen to get in my way, I won't hesitate to kill you."

"You won't be killing anyone." Tien said, glaring. "Now, I will not ask you again. Who are you?"

Raditz just snickered, and checked his scouter. Tien blinked when her heard a beeping sound from the device, and Raditz just scoffed. "820. Impressive, I'll admit. I didn't think any creature on this pitiful planet would have a power level above at least a ten. I could kill you in seconds."

Tien began to worry as the long haired man brought up the prospect of them fighting. He may be able to stall this man for a time, but it would end up being a losing battle if it carried on. "I have no interest in starting a fight."

Raditz smirked. "I do."

Tien got into a fighting stance as he prepared for Raditz to attack him. The Saiyan warrior just stood upright, not even bothering to get into a position, smirking at the triclops. Eventually, Tien made the first move, firing a Dodon Wave at Raditz. The golden beam completely covered its intended target and a cloud of dust rose up.

Tien's brief look of satisfaction was replaced by a look of horror when the dust had settled and Raditz just stood there smirking. "Hehe. That tickled. Now, let me offer this as a rebuttal." The man brought his right hand up, and Tien paled when a purple energy sphere formed in his palm.

However, Raditz stopped when his scouter beeped, and his eyes widened. "Hm. It seems an abundance of high power levels are meeting at the exact same spot. One of them must be Kakarot."

Raditz glanced at Tien. "We'll finish this later, freak."

Tien watched as Raditz flew away. _Damn. This guy is definitely a problem. Need to warn the others, quick!_

* * *

A/N: Been a while since I've updated. Sorry about that. I've been having some pretty bad writer's block recently. I understand this chapter was short. Still working to make them a little longer, so I don't expect any of you to think much of this chapter.

- **SergiusTheGreat: I really like this story, but be careful with the mary sueness some characters are showing. I am especially worried that Goku will never be as strong as the others and you will treat him as an idiot throughout the fic.**

**Say, how about additional MK Characters? Hell, you can bring Johnny Cage's cocky, arrogant but mirthful antics and even Sub Zero's disciplined, calculating but friendly personality, that would be cool.**

**On the other hand, the pairings I see so far are interesting to say the least. I never liked Chi-Chi much but paired with Krillin should be good to go. As for Kitana and Tien, I've got no complaints. Then, there is Goku, who might end up with Bulma through his antics with the gravity machine or Mileena, since both are goofy, naive but strong warriors.**

**It is a good story, but like I said, watch it. You are close to annoying some readers with the MK characters being more powerful than DBZs. Hey, they can be pretty strong, yes, but when will they ever step to a Super Saiyan?**

**Don't take this review the wrong way, I just want this story to flourish, it is pretty damn cool.**

**Cheers!**

**-Sergius**

**PS: About Sheeva, you should pair her up with someone from DBZ, you know, to poke fun at. I always liked her, especially in this story. Pairing her with Goro would be dull and just plain boring.**

I'll try not to. But this is my first fic, so you can expect a few mistakes. There is no way in hell I'm gonna make Goku weak. That just doesn't work. In any universe. But my plan is for Sindel to be the main protagonist here. And there is an idea where the Edenians have a transformation similar to the Super Saiyan, since they are part god and in this fic, their power signatures have no limits due to their incredible lifespans.

And we'll see on the other Mortal Kombat characters. I can't see Sub-Zero or Johnny Cage appearing at all due to the fact that the time period I depicted in the Mortal Kombat universe was when Edenia had just been conquered by Shao Kahn, and Kitana was only an infant. Because of that, Sub-Zero and Johnny Cage don't even exist yet. Let me know if that makes sense or not.

Pairings, glad you are okay with them. People really seem to want Goku and Mileena... not a bad idea really.

I don't plan on letting the Mortal Kombat characters stay powerful for long. Once the Frieza Saga has passed, if I even get there, the Outworlders will start to find themselves greatly outclassed by the more powerful entities in the Dragon Ball universe. If I start to step to far ahead of the boundaries, just let me know.

And I don't take it the wrong way at all. I actually welcome constructive criticism.

PS: As for Sheeva, I'm not sure if she's even straight, lol. But I'm not really gonna be putting much thought into her for a while anyway.


End file.
